Pulling the Plug X
Jacque's Cabaret in Bay Village is in need of Media Dieticians' support. The club's neighbors are trying to get it closed down and have its license revoked. The neighbors do not want a drag club in their neighborhood -- it's been there since Stonewall -- and claim that crime and prostitution is associated with the club. This is something that has come up again and again since the '60s, and people haven't been able to shut it down yet -- let's work so it doesn't happen now. I don't live in Bay Village, but I've been to Jacque's several times, and I don't see a negative impact on the community. The bar's staff makes sure people leave right at closing, and the crowd Jacque's attracts isn't a rowdy lot. They're drag queens. And the people who like them.
Jacque's has also been hosting punk-rock shows for years. It's a great place to hang out, drink cheap beer, see the most talented drag queens in the Northeast, play pinball, and experience life outside mainstream culture. Given it's long-running history and subculture, it'd be a shame to see it shut down. Jacque's closing would be a loss for Boston.
There is a hearing Tuesday, Feb. 4 -- that's today, I'm afraid -- at 6 p.m. about Jacque's license. They could use some support. If you're interested and able, meet at Jacque's Cabaret at 5:30 tonight, or to to the Renaissance Charter School on Stuart Street two blocks from the Arlington T stop. For directions, call 617-426-8902.
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Born to Run Away II
The Bruce Springsteen/DoubleTake benefit is back on! Tickets through Ticketmaster have been knocked down to $100 and $500, and DoubleTake is selling a limited number of tickets for $1,000. Those get you into a pre-show reception attended by Dr. Robert Coles, Springsteen, and other "prominent DoubleTake supporters."
The Bruce Springsteen/DoubleTake benefit is back on! Tickets through Ticketmaster have been knocked down to $100 and $500, and DoubleTake is selling a limited number of tickets for $1,000. Those get you into a pre-show reception attended by Dr. Robert Coles, Springsteen, and other "prominent DoubleTake supporters."
Music to My Ears XXV
Media Dietician Rob Upson is the first to take me up on my offer of a mix exchange. His CD-R of field recordings made in Suriname earns him a mix CD from yours truly. I hope to make a mix a month. If you send me a mix to the address in the left-hand column, you'll get a copy of the mix I send Rob, too. Let the exchange begin!
Media Dietician Rob Upson is the first to take me up on my offer of a mix exchange. His CD-R of field recordings made in Suriname earns him a mix CD from yours truly. I hope to make a mix a month. If you send me a mix to the address in the left-hand column, you'll get a copy of the mix I send Rob, too. Let the exchange begin!
Comics and Community VI
In a recent edition of Technology Review, MIT's Henry Jenkins compares Warren Ellis's comic book Global Frequency to Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs. It's an impressive consideration of the relationship between dystopian science fiction and online communities.
In a recent edition of Technology Review, MIT's Henry Jenkins compares Warren Ellis's comic book Global Frequency to Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs. It's an impressive consideration of the relationship between dystopian science fiction and online communities.
Anchormen, Aweigh! XVI
I just sent Jef the final draft of the liner notes to the Anchormen's forthcoming CD, Nation of Interns. The CD will hopefully be out in the next month or so, and you can expect some shows come spring! Here are the liners:
The Anchormen
Nation of Interns
Chris Braiotta: Accordion, bass, and vocals
Jef Czekaj: Drums, and vocals
Heath Row: Vocals
Tom Scanlon: Guitar and organ
Leslie Case: Background vocals on "Another Gentrification Song" and
"Unsung Heroes"
Another Gentrification Song Another storefront boarded up. Another homeless paper cup. Another U-Haul moving truck: Another family gone. Another big box starts to trade. Another student class turned slave. Another million dollars made, not saved: Another gentrification song. Why were we not invited? Why were the developers benighted? Why was the neighborhood so slighted? When will these wrongs be righted? Another street loses its life. Another sheltered suburban white. Another man picks up a knife.
"Central Square is the heart and soul of Cambridge." -- Chris Szabla
Audobon Park Walking down Magazine past the Abstract and Ms. Rae-Ann's grocery to le block du veterinary, the OK Shoe Shop's closed up like an oyster. Sitting on the roots of a tree, reading a book by a punk-rock nothing, writing a postcard to my family, and listening to the song sung by the pool swimming. We are going down to Audobon Park. We are house rotten at the Status Palace hanging out after dark because Alisa's on her mobile phone, and we are going home. Sitting down at the Kerry, feet are hurting, cracked just like Van Gogh. Three pints of Guinness times five minutes. Now we're late; who knows where we'll go? Going back to 316. Can't watch the movie we didn't PPV. Call room service, serving dervish. Fills our stomach; still we feel empty.
"The story might be tidier with a suicide, or a drug overdose, or a graffiti-covered tombstone in Paris. What actually happened isn't nearly as profitable for the record company, but more pleasant for his family." -- Abram Shalom Himelstein and Jamie Schweser, Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing
Celebrate Democracy In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and proceeded to kill 3 million Arawaks. Their gold had made him woozy, but because of Amerigo Vespucci, we are not Columbians, we're Americans. Celebrate democracy with me. In 1776, we freed ourselves from the wily Brits to play out our Declaration of Independence. But despite our Constitution, there is still stark class division, and war is fought by the impoverished, not the rich. In 1983, the cover of Time magazine turned its annual man award upon its ear. And instead of a world leader, it gave laud to binary
readers and named the computer Machine of the Year.
"A country populated with shoppers is poorly prepared to assert, much less back up, its worldwide dominance." -- Herbert Schiller, Living in the Number One Country
Finger Lakes Should I take the train or should I rent a car? I would take an aeroplane, but I don't need to go that far to see you because we will meet halfway. I want to see you tomorrow. You wanted to see me yesterday. If you could see through my eyes and get a new perspective, and maybe even be surprised. If I were you and you were me, just think of all the things that we could see. I think that I could be happy. Take me to the edge. Take me to the pier. Tell me all the reasons why you wanted me to come here: to see you, to see the finger lakes. I am taking what you're giving. Now there's not much more for me to take. I haven't seen or heard from you in awhile. I wish that I could hear your voice. I wish that I could see you smile. Smile at me; smile at the things we say. Then I'd know what you are thinking. Then I'd know what kind of games we're playing.
"The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit." -- W. Somerset Maugham
Idlewild You're spending the weekend in Michigan, debiting the balance sheet that our relationship is built on. I urinate in used car lots and then get in a van with poets from New York and without destination. I do not know where we are going. I hope we reap the seeds we're sowing. You say that I don't tell you how I feel, yet layer after layer of my heart's defenses you keep peeling. Your self-esteem and self-doubt make me sway. I love you; I'm not in love with you: At least that's how I feel right now, today. Idlewild, you make me feel like I've never ever felt before. Idlewild, is this love real? Are you an open door?
"In order to delay the onset of the dementia of affection I hugged foam cushions from the sofa while you were away." -- Todd Colby, "I Welcome You"
Indecision If you want to make a decision, you've got to make it with precision. You've got to make sure that you're in the right head. If you want to give an answer, you cannot be a second guesser. You've got to be correct again. I will never let you down again, my friend.
"The fish is never free to become an eagle." -- Theron Q. Dumont, The Master Mind
Unsung Heroes If history was written by the winners, then social studies textbooks were compiled by the sinners. Our social ills were not caused by the poor, and labor organizers don't lead choirs any more. The world was not created by the people who make the news. Society was built by working people: me and you. We've got to share our stories, our successes, and our loss if we want to break the iron chains forged by every boss. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. We cannot afford to forget our past. There's a new day, a new way about to dawn. Yet we can't take steps forward without knowing where we've gone. We've lost ourselves in the language of the Left. We've got to learn a new tongue if we want to be heard by the deaf. Without collective memory we won't last.
"We are always in need of radicals who are also lovable." -- Howard Zinn, Howard Zinn on History
Basic tracks recorded starting January 2002 by the Anchormen, Paul Coleman, and Ken Kokubo at the Sound Museum in Boston. Overdubs recorded starting April 2002 at Drop-D Manor in Jamaica Plain. Technical assistance provided by Doug Vargas. Mixed starting November 2002 by Rafi Sofer and various interns at Q Division in Somerville. Mastered in January 2003 by Darron Burke at Makeshift Studio in Jamaica Plain.
Thank you: The Abbey Lounge; Emily Arkin; Katie Bryn; Darron Burke; Leslie Case; Paul Coleman; the Dilboy VFW; Mike Faloon; Dave Geissler; Jen Godfrey; Handstand Command; Hi-Fi Records; Ken Kokubo; Steven J. Lawrence; O'Brien's; Kimberly Pieters; Sarah Pikcilingis; Rafi Sofer, "Cyco" Dave Sakowski, and all of the interns at Q Division; Alisa Swindell; and Doug Vargas.
No hippies or pimps were involved in the making of this record.
I just sent Jef the final draft of the liner notes to the Anchormen's forthcoming CD, Nation of Interns. The CD will hopefully be out in the next month or so, and you can expect some shows come spring! Here are the liners:
The Anchormen
Nation of Interns
Chris Braiotta: Accordion, bass, and vocals
Jef Czekaj: Drums, and vocals
Heath Row: Vocals
Tom Scanlon: Guitar and organ
Leslie Case: Background vocals on "Another Gentrification Song" and
"Unsung Heroes"
Another Gentrification Song Another storefront boarded up. Another homeless paper cup. Another U-Haul moving truck: Another family gone. Another big box starts to trade. Another student class turned slave. Another million dollars made, not saved: Another gentrification song. Why were we not invited? Why were the developers benighted? Why was the neighborhood so slighted? When will these wrongs be righted? Another street loses its life. Another sheltered suburban white. Another man picks up a knife.
"Central Square is the heart and soul of Cambridge." -- Chris Szabla
Audobon Park Walking down Magazine past the Abstract and Ms. Rae-Ann's grocery to le block du veterinary, the OK Shoe Shop's closed up like an oyster. Sitting on the roots of a tree, reading a book by a punk-rock nothing, writing a postcard to my family, and listening to the song sung by the pool swimming. We are going down to Audobon Park. We are house rotten at the Status Palace hanging out after dark because Alisa's on her mobile phone, and we are going home. Sitting down at the Kerry, feet are hurting, cracked just like Van Gogh. Three pints of Guinness times five minutes. Now we're late; who knows where we'll go? Going back to 316. Can't watch the movie we didn't PPV. Call room service, serving dervish. Fills our stomach; still we feel empty.
"The story might be tidier with a suicide, or a drug overdose, or a graffiti-covered tombstone in Paris. What actually happened isn't nearly as profitable for the record company, but more pleasant for his family." -- Abram Shalom Himelstein and Jamie Schweser, Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing
Celebrate Democracy In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and proceeded to kill 3 million Arawaks. Their gold had made him woozy, but because of Amerigo Vespucci, we are not Columbians, we're Americans. Celebrate democracy with me. In 1776, we freed ourselves from the wily Brits to play out our Declaration of Independence. But despite our Constitution, there is still stark class division, and war is fought by the impoverished, not the rich. In 1983, the cover of Time magazine turned its annual man award upon its ear. And instead of a world leader, it gave laud to binary
readers and named the computer Machine of the Year.
"A country populated with shoppers is poorly prepared to assert, much less back up, its worldwide dominance." -- Herbert Schiller, Living in the Number One Country
Finger Lakes Should I take the train or should I rent a car? I would take an aeroplane, but I don't need to go that far to see you because we will meet halfway. I want to see you tomorrow. You wanted to see me yesterday. If you could see through my eyes and get a new perspective, and maybe even be surprised. If I were you and you were me, just think of all the things that we could see. I think that I could be happy. Take me to the edge. Take me to the pier. Tell me all the reasons why you wanted me to come here: to see you, to see the finger lakes. I am taking what you're giving. Now there's not much more for me to take. I haven't seen or heard from you in awhile. I wish that I could hear your voice. I wish that I could see you smile. Smile at me; smile at the things we say. Then I'd know what you are thinking. Then I'd know what kind of games we're playing.
"The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit." -- W. Somerset Maugham
Idlewild You're spending the weekend in Michigan, debiting the balance sheet that our relationship is built on. I urinate in used car lots and then get in a van with poets from New York and without destination. I do not know where we are going. I hope we reap the seeds we're sowing. You say that I don't tell you how I feel, yet layer after layer of my heart's defenses you keep peeling. Your self-esteem and self-doubt make me sway. I love you; I'm not in love with you: At least that's how I feel right now, today. Idlewild, you make me feel like I've never ever felt before. Idlewild, is this love real? Are you an open door?
"In order to delay the onset of the dementia of affection I hugged foam cushions from the sofa while you were away." -- Todd Colby, "I Welcome You"
Indecision If you want to make a decision, you've got to make it with precision. You've got to make sure that you're in the right head. If you want to give an answer, you cannot be a second guesser. You've got to be correct again. I will never let you down again, my friend.
"The fish is never free to become an eagle." -- Theron Q. Dumont, The Master Mind
Unsung Heroes If history was written by the winners, then social studies textbooks were compiled by the sinners. Our social ills were not caused by the poor, and labor organizers don't lead choirs any more. The world was not created by the people who make the news. Society was built by working people: me and you. We've got to share our stories, our successes, and our loss if we want to break the iron chains forged by every boss. Unsung heroes are less than zeroes. We cannot afford to forget our past. There's a new day, a new way about to dawn. Yet we can't take steps forward without knowing where we've gone. We've lost ourselves in the language of the Left. We've got to learn a new tongue if we want to be heard by the deaf. Without collective memory we won't last.
"We are always in need of radicals who are also lovable." -- Howard Zinn, Howard Zinn on History
Basic tracks recorded starting January 2002 by the Anchormen, Paul Coleman, and Ken Kokubo at the Sound Museum in Boston. Overdubs recorded starting April 2002 at Drop-D Manor in Jamaica Plain. Technical assistance provided by Doug Vargas. Mixed starting November 2002 by Rafi Sofer and various interns at Q Division in Somerville. Mastered in January 2003 by Darron Burke at Makeshift Studio in Jamaica Plain.
Thank you: The Abbey Lounge; Emily Arkin; Katie Bryn; Darron Burke; Leslie Case; Paul Coleman; the Dilboy VFW; Mike Faloon; Dave Geissler; Jen Godfrey; Handstand Command; Hi-Fi Records; Ken Kokubo; Steven J. Lawrence; O'Brien's; Kimberly Pieters; Sarah Pikcilingis; Rafi Sofer, "Cyco" Dave Sakowski, and all of the interns at Q Division; Alisa Swindell; and Doug Vargas.
No hippies or pimps were involved in the making of this record.
Event-O-Dex XXXVI
Friday, Feb. 7: Godsmacked, Armstrong, the Teen Idols, and the Queers at TT the Bear's Place in Cambridge.
Saturday, Feb. 8: 71 Sunbeam, Sally Crewe, Laguardia, and the Lincoln Conspiracy at TT the Bear's Place in Cambridge.
Friday, Feb. 7: Godsmacked, Armstrong, the Teen Idols, and the Queers at TT the Bear's Place in Cambridge.
Saturday, Feb. 8: 71 Sunbeam, Sally Crewe, Laguardia, and the Lincoln Conspiracy at TT the Bear's Place in Cambridge.
Monday, February 03, 2003
Event-O-Dex XXXV
Thursday, Feb. 6: Plunge into Death (featuring Jef of the Anchormen and Dave of Scrapple), Common Cold, and Shark Mountain at the Choppin' Block, 724 Huntington Ave., Boston. It's a Mister Records CD release party!
Thursday, Feb. 6: Plunge into Death (featuring Jef of the Anchormen and Dave of Scrapple), Common Cold, and Shark Mountain at the Choppin' Block, 724 Huntington Ave., Boston. It's a Mister Records CD release party!
The Movie I Watched Last Night LVII
Two cross-country flights, two in-flight movies.
Wednesday: The Tuxedo
This Mask-like plotline is really just an excuse for Jackie Chan to show off his martial arts mastery. The gist is this: There's this tuxedo, see? It's been augmented to give you highly skilled martial arts -- and dancing -- abilities. Chan plays a cabbie who gets recruited as the driver for a James Bond-like secret agent. After the agent is injured, Chan dons the tux and takes the agent's place. And the mission continues! The interplay between Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt's character -- the agent's partner -- is relatively weak, and outside of the martial arts eye candy, this movie has little going for it. Fun for Chan completists, perhaps.
Sunday: Solaris
This is more like it. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this 2002 s-f movie done in the style of '70s stalwarts such as 2001 (which isn't surprising given the novel's 1972 Russian remake) is based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. George Clooney plays a psychologist who's sent to a space station in orbit around Solaris, a star that has intriguing psychological effects on the station's crew. Clooney's character, after a series of emotional flashbacks, falls prey to the star's power, and the movie addresses the nature of humanity, the reality of memory, and ethics. A slow-paced yet powerful film, Solaris is a sleeper hit. I'm almost surprised it was made, but I'm glad it was, and it makes me want to read the book. It also makes me hopeful that other classic s-f novels, stateside and otherwise, will be made into films as impressive as this. Soderbergh's portrayal of the future is stark and not too far from the present, and the cast, largely of unknowns -- Jeremy Davies plays a wonderfully distracted man on the edge of sanity -- performs well.
Two cross-country flights, two in-flight movies.
Wednesday: The Tuxedo
This Mask-like plotline is really just an excuse for Jackie Chan to show off his martial arts mastery. The gist is this: There's this tuxedo, see? It's been augmented to give you highly skilled martial arts -- and dancing -- abilities. Chan plays a cabbie who gets recruited as the driver for a James Bond-like secret agent. After the agent is injured, Chan dons the tux and takes the agent's place. And the mission continues! The interplay between Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt's character -- the agent's partner -- is relatively weak, and outside of the martial arts eye candy, this movie has little going for it. Fun for Chan completists, perhaps.
Sunday: Solaris
This is more like it. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this 2002 s-f movie done in the style of '70s stalwarts such as 2001 (which isn't surprising given the novel's 1972 Russian remake) is based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. George Clooney plays a psychologist who's sent to a space station in orbit around Solaris, a star that has intriguing psychological effects on the station's crew. Clooney's character, after a series of emotional flashbacks, falls prey to the star's power, and the movie addresses the nature of humanity, the reality of memory, and ethics. A slow-paced yet powerful film, Solaris is a sleeper hit. I'm almost surprised it was made, but I'm glad it was, and it makes me want to read the book. It also makes me hopeful that other classic s-f novels, stateside and otherwise, will be made into films as impressive as this. Soderbergh's portrayal of the future is stark and not too far from the present, and the cast, largely of unknowns -- Jeremy Davies plays a wonderfully distracted man on the edge of sanity -- performs well.
Comics and Community V
So I went to APE in San Francisco this weekend -- for the first time since the very first APE ever down in San Jose when Dave Sim and David Moodie (ex-Might) shared the same space, almost. I admit that I didn't really do APE well this year. I stayed up pretty late Friday night after hanging out at Zeitgeist, a wonderful bicycle courier bar, with Cory, Becca and Alex. So I was pretty tired and kept behind the Highwater Books table with Tom and TD for much of the day.
We had a great space. With four tables of Highwater display right next to Jordan Crane and a lot of other Los Angeles-area comics makers, including Souther Salazar, Saelee Oh, and Sammy Harkham, as well as others, we had a fun, lively, and motley crew. And while I perched behind the table, a lot of neat people came to me. It's been ages since I've seen Seth Friedman, formerly of Factsheet 5; Larry-Bob and Nick, of Holy Titclamps; Andy Hunter, formerly of Mommy and I Are One; and some of the folks behind Cardhouse.
I didn't spend a lot of time with them, but I also chatted briefly with Charles Brownstein of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who recently self-published a Valentines-themed zine; Bill from Giant Robot; Chris and Brett from Top Shelf; and Jeff from Alternative Comics (he corrected me when I mistakenly said Alternative Press; ouch!); Leela Corman and Tom Hart; and select other fine folks.
When I finally got some caffeine in me and decided to brave the floor, I wish I'd left the comforting confines of our table earlier in the day. I ran into John Held, Jr., a long-time mail artist and small-press archivist; V. Vale of Re/Search; David Rees and Tom Hopkins, who were working the Soft Skull/AK Press half-table; Jon and Craig from Spoilsport and Go-Go Girl. I even bought the second anthology comic from Ben, the guy in Austin who does the wonderful daily autobio punk strip Snake Pit. Didn't say hi, though.
Because I'm that lame. It felt super weird heading back to Boston early Sunday having not been in town for the con, really; not having had much quality time with my friends who were there; knowing so many local and non-local comics and zine people at the con; and not having taken the opportunity to really explore APE, much less spend the second day.
So San Diego it is. And SPX. Andcetera. I need to get back into the swing of things.
(Oh, I also didn't pick up that many new minis and stuff to review here. Because I'm that lame. I picked up some neat new stuff -- like the new tabloid paper Arthur [Jordan and Sammy as comics editors, hooray!] -- and I'll eventually get to it all here. People should just send me everything. Really, they should.)
So I went to APE in San Francisco this weekend -- for the first time since the very first APE ever down in San Jose when Dave Sim and David Moodie (ex-Might) shared the same space, almost. I admit that I didn't really do APE well this year. I stayed up pretty late Friday night after hanging out at Zeitgeist, a wonderful bicycle courier bar, with Cory, Becca and Alex. So I was pretty tired and kept behind the Highwater Books table with Tom and TD for much of the day.
We had a great space. With four tables of Highwater display right next to Jordan Crane and a lot of other Los Angeles-area comics makers, including Souther Salazar, Saelee Oh, and Sammy Harkham, as well as others, we had a fun, lively, and motley crew. And while I perched behind the table, a lot of neat people came to me. It's been ages since I've seen Seth Friedman, formerly of Factsheet 5; Larry-Bob and Nick, of Holy Titclamps; Andy Hunter, formerly of Mommy and I Are One; and some of the folks behind Cardhouse.
I didn't spend a lot of time with them, but I also chatted briefly with Charles Brownstein of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who recently self-published a Valentines-themed zine; Bill from Giant Robot; Chris and Brett from Top Shelf; and Jeff from Alternative Comics (he corrected me when I mistakenly said Alternative Press; ouch!); Leela Corman and Tom Hart; and select other fine folks.
When I finally got some caffeine in me and decided to brave the floor, I wish I'd left the comforting confines of our table earlier in the day. I ran into John Held, Jr., a long-time mail artist and small-press archivist; V. Vale of Re/Search; David Rees and Tom Hopkins, who were working the Soft Skull/AK Press half-table; Jon and Craig from Spoilsport and Go-Go Girl. I even bought the second anthology comic from Ben, the guy in Austin who does the wonderful daily autobio punk strip Snake Pit. Didn't say hi, though.
Because I'm that lame. It felt super weird heading back to Boston early Sunday having not been in town for the con, really; not having had much quality time with my friends who were there; knowing so many local and non-local comics and zine people at the con; and not having taken the opportunity to really explore APE, much less spend the second day.
So San Diego it is. And SPX. Andcetera. I need to get back into the swing of things.
(Oh, I also didn't pick up that many new minis and stuff to review here. Because I'm that lame. I picked up some neat new stuff -- like the new tabloid paper Arthur [Jordan and Sammy as comics editors, hooray!] -- and I'll eventually get to it all here. People should just send me everything. Really, they should.)
Corollary: Everything's Coming Out, Rosie II
And the drama don't stop.
And the drama don't stop.
Workaday World XVI
You know how some days you feel like your life is as stable as a house of cards or a cabin made of popsicle sticks? I've had a lot of days like that lately.
You know how some days you feel like your life is as stable as a house of cards or a cabin made of popsicle sticks? I've had a lot of days like that lately.
Friday, January 31, 2003
No Media Res(t) for the Weary Traveler III
While I neglected to read any newspapers yesterday, I just finished flipping through today's San Francisco Chronicle and this week's SF Weekly and San Francisco Bay Guardian. The Guardian yielded some interesting tidbits.
Former publisher of Factsheet 5, Seth Friedman, now works as the Guardian's IT manager. Also from the masthead, Bay Area improv guitarist John Shiurba works as the paper's office manager. I first encountered Shiurba through the Boss Improv mailing list that I founded. Small world.
The Guardian includes several interesting media-related pieces this week. Savannah Blackwell's article on the recent antitrust case filed against New Times Media -- the parent company of the Guardian's closest competitor SF Weekly -- and Village Voice Media, is a clear exposure of the companies' attempts to collude and avoid regional competition.
Jeff Chang looks at Clear Channel's purchase of KMEL -- and former listeners' attempts to take back the urban radio station. And Camille Taiara's consideration of corporate media organizations' contributions to politicians -- and FCC chair Michael Powell's openness to big business -- offers a nice companion read addressing the evils of conglomerization.
All in all, an impressively solid edition of the Guardian. Right on, Bruce Brugmann. Alt.weeklies everywhere could learn from you.
While I neglected to read any newspapers yesterday, I just finished flipping through today's San Francisco Chronicle and this week's SF Weekly and San Francisco Bay Guardian. The Guardian yielded some interesting tidbits.
Former publisher of Factsheet 5, Seth Friedman, now works as the Guardian's IT manager. Also from the masthead, Bay Area improv guitarist John Shiurba works as the paper's office manager. I first encountered Shiurba through the Boss Improv mailing list that I founded. Small world.
The Guardian includes several interesting media-related pieces this week. Savannah Blackwell's article on the recent antitrust case filed against New Times Media -- the parent company of the Guardian's closest competitor SF Weekly -- and Village Voice Media, is a clear exposure of the companies' attempts to collude and avoid regional competition.
Jeff Chang looks at Clear Channel's purchase of KMEL -- and former listeners' attempts to take back the urban radio station. And Camille Taiara's consideration of corporate media organizations' contributions to politicians -- and FCC chair Michael Powell's openness to big business -- offers a nice companion read addressing the evils of conglomerization.
All in all, an impressively solid edition of the Guardian. Right on, Bruce Brugmann. Alt.weeklies everywhere could learn from you.
Among the Literati XXV
In the Jan. 29 edition of the SF Weekly, Tommy Craggs takes the San Francisco Chronicle to task for publishing a thinly veiled news release for 826 Valencia's October 2002 teacher of the month -- penned by Dave Eggers.
What starts as a query why Eggers would contribute to the Chronic ends up as criticism that the paper gave 826 Valencia -- quite a worthy learning center -- any ink and a snarky dismissal of Eggers as "stumbling." Give the guy a break.
In the Jan. 29 edition of the SF Weekly, Tommy Craggs takes the San Francisco Chronicle to task for publishing a thinly veiled news release for 826 Valencia's October 2002 teacher of the month -- penned by Dave Eggers.
What starts as a query why Eggers would contribute to the Chronic ends up as criticism that the paper gave 826 Valencia -- quite a worthy learning center -- any ink and a snarky dismissal of Eggers as "stumbling." Give the guy a break.
Corollary: Signs of the Times
Just talked some more with the security guard at 601 Montgomery. He says he's been changing the sign near the security desk for six or seven years. "I have three sets of letters now," he says. "I used to be restricted."
Word is that a friend interviewed him and wrote an article for a class she took. If she gives the OK, I hope to publish her piece here.
Just talked some more with the security guard at 601 Montgomery. He says he's been changing the sign near the security desk for six or seven years. "I have three sets of letters now," he says. "I used to be restricted."
Word is that a friend interviewed him and wrote an article for a class she took. If she gives the OK, I hope to publish her piece here.
Event-O-Dex XXXIV
Sunday, Feb. 2: The Tardy, the Pee Wee Fist, and Rachel McCartney at the Washington Street Arts Center, 321 Washington St., Somerville. The action starts at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2: The Tardy, the Pee Wee Fist, and Rachel McCartney at the Washington Street Arts Center, 321 Washington St., Somerville. The action starts at 7:30 p.m.
Signs of the Times
Every day, the security guard at 601 Montgomery St. in San Francisco changes this sign.
He says that as long as it makes people laugh, he can "keep his laugh on the job."
Every day, the security guard at 601 Montgomery St. in San Francisco changes this sign.
He says that as long as it makes people laugh, he can "keep his laugh on the job."
Media Diet Eat Up
I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight at 7:30 at Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia, in San Francisco. If you're a Media Dietician and want to join us, consider the invitation open. I've got messy hair and small glasses, and I'll be wearing a blue workshirt. Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing will be there, too, but Dr. Frank of the Mr. T Experience is on his way to LA for a solo show. He sends his regards.
I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight at 7:30 at Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia, in San Francisco. If you're a Media Dietician and want to join us, consider the invitation open. I've got messy hair and small glasses, and I'll be wearing a blue workshirt. Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing will be there, too, but Dr. Frank of the Mr. T Experience is on his way to LA for a solo show. He sends his regards.
Corollary: Comics and Community IV
Christopher Baldwin, creator of the Bruno Daily Times is going to be at APE. I read Bruno every day!
Christopher Baldwin, creator of the Bruno Daily Times is going to be at APE. I read Bruno every day!
Dead Technology
You know how folks say that Betamax was vastly superior to VHS but VHS won out because of better distribution? Might be a myth.
Thanks to Through the Wire.
You know how folks say that Betamax was vastly superior to VHS but VHS won out because of better distribution? Might be a myth.
Thanks to Through the Wire.
Among the Literati XXIV
Charlie Stross and Cory Doctorow are kicking up some dust in the Well's Inkwell forum.
Thanks to Weblogsky.
Charlie Stross and Cory Doctorow are kicking up some dust in the Well's Inkwell forum.
Thanks to Weblogsky.
Blogging About Blogging XLVIII
Ross Mayfield's Blogmap project is now online. Looks like he's upping the ante on the social network map he created of the Ryze Blog tribe. Neat stuff.
And Corante's got a new blog rolling. Amateur Hour looks at the democratization of media, digital tools, and media making. It's the "me" in "media." Jan. 24's entry touches on how cable TV and the net are changing traditional journalism.
Ross Mayfield's Blogmap project is now online. Looks like he's upping the ante on the social network map he created of the Ryze Blog tribe. Neat stuff.
And Corante's got a new blog rolling. Amateur Hour looks at the democratization of media, digital tools, and media making. It's the "me" in "media." Jan. 24's entry touches on how cable TV and the net are changing traditional journalism.
Everything's Coming Out, Rosie II
The Rosie end-of-days drama continues.
The Rosie end-of-days drama continues.
Born to Run Away
Bruce Springsteen was slated to play a benefit performance for DoubleTake magazine at the Somerville Theater in Somerville near the end of February. The deal was that for something like a $1,000 ticket, you could see the small, intimate, acoustic performance. And for $5,000 you could share time and table with the Boss and his wife at a special dinner. The whole idea was to raise money for the ever-struggling Davis Square-based magazine.
Now Springsteen has pulled away from the deal, and the concert is canceled. Why? The Boss was upset at the steep ticket prices despite the benefit gig. And he was miffed that the magazine leaked news of the performance early to fuel ticket sales. Just goes to show: What DoubleTake can give, DoubleTake can take away.
Bruce Springsteen was slated to play a benefit performance for DoubleTake magazine at the Somerville Theater in Somerville near the end of February. The deal was that for something like a $1,000 ticket, you could see the small, intimate, acoustic performance. And for $5,000 you could share time and table with the Boss and his wife at a special dinner. The whole idea was to raise money for the ever-struggling Davis Square-based magazine.
Now Springsteen has pulled away from the deal, and the concert is canceled. Why? The Boss was upset at the steep ticket prices despite the benefit gig. And he was miffed that the magazine leaked news of the performance early to fuel ticket sales. Just goes to show: What DoubleTake can give, DoubleTake can take away.
Workaday World XV
On my way to Fast Company's Montgomery Street offices in San Francisco I saw what might very well be one of the best buskers I've ever seen. The fellow at the Montgomery Street Bart station has an extremely clear and impressive singing voice. If you come across him, give him some money.
Upon reaching the top of the exit escalator, I saw a forlorn-looking older man in a suit standing resolutely behind a sandwich board that said, "Please take my resume. I've done it all." Welcome back to San Francisco.
On my way to Fast Company's Montgomery Street offices in San Francisco I saw what might very well be one of the best buskers I've ever seen. The fellow at the Montgomery Street Bart station has an extremely clear and impressive singing voice. If you come across him, give him some money.
Upon reaching the top of the exit escalator, I saw a forlorn-looking older man in a suit standing resolutely behind a sandwich board that said, "Please take my resume. I've done it all." Welcome back to San Francisco.
Thursday, January 30, 2003
Anchormen, Aweigh! XV
Half the band mastered the final mixes of the songs we're including in our forthcoming CD, Nation of Interns, Tuesday, and the final songs are available online. Hopefully, the CD itself will be available in the next month or so!
Half the band mastered the final mixes of the songs we're including in our forthcoming CD, Nation of Interns, Tuesday, and the final songs are available online. Hopefully, the CD itself will be available in the next month or so!
Workaday World XIV
I'm in San Francisco today, camping out in Fast Company's Montgomery Street offices to catch up with the Company of Friends before the San Francisco group's event this evening.
So far today, I've had two delightful Bay Area experiences. I saw a woman on the Bart reading Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, and I heard a custodian whistle "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." Welcome back to San Francisco!
I'm in San Francisco today, camping out in Fast Company's Montgomery Street offices to catch up with the Company of Friends before the San Francisco group's event this evening.
So far today, I've had two delightful Bay Area experiences. I saw a woman on the Bart reading Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, and I heard a custodian whistle "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." Welcome back to San Francisco!
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Corollary: Comics and Community IV
In another fit of good fortune -- to start balancing out all of today's bad -- Highwater Books will be tabling at APE this weekend. That's where I'll be spending much of my time, so if any Media Dieticians go to APE, look me up.
In another fit of good fortune -- to start balancing out all of today's bad -- Highwater Books will be tabling at APE this weekend. That's where I'll be spending much of my time, so if any Media Dieticians go to APE, look me up.
Anchormen, Aweigh! XIV
Half the band is mastering the forthcoming Anchormen CD, Nation of Interns, tonight. And we're trying to figure out what order the songs should go in. Do you like
Audubon Park
Peel Away
Celebrate Democracy
Idlewild
Another Gentrification Song
Finger Lakes
Unsung Heroes
Indecision
or
Celebrate Democracy
Unsung Heroes
Peel Away
Finger Lakes
Indecision
Idlewild
Another Gentrification Song
Audobon Park
or
Celebrate Democracy
Idlewild
Audobon Park
Another Gentrification Song
Finger Lakes
Unsung Heroes
Peel Away
Indecision
better? You can download the rough mixes. Determining song order is much more challenging than you'd think.
Half the band is mastering the forthcoming Anchormen CD, Nation of Interns, tonight. And we're trying to figure out what order the songs should go in. Do you like
or
or
better? You can download the rough mixes. Determining song order is much more challenging than you'd think.
Games People Play IV
A co-worker of mine made a board game! Lights... Camera... Action! is a Trivial Pursuit-like game in which players try to identify the name of a movie based on quote, actor, and scene clues. It's extremely well produced and looks like a lot of fun -- 800 movie moments to consider! Fun stuff. I had no idea you could just make a board game.
A co-worker of mine made a board game! Lights... Camera... Action! is a Trivial Pursuit-like game in which players try to identify the name of a movie based on quote, actor, and scene clues. It's extremely well produced and looks like a lot of fun -- 800 movie moments to consider! Fun stuff. I had no idea you could just make a board game.
Corollary: Workaday World XIII
Murphy's Law is in full effect. Let's just say that the relaunch isn't going exactly as planned. We'll get there, though. I'm just not very good at being ineffectual. I'm also not very good at being nostalgic. Last night, with all of the anticipation and excitement about the relaunch, I waxed romantic about a former girlfriend, even emailing her a thank-you message for her long-ago support and interest. I should not do things like that. Stupid, stupid Heath. That'll work itself out, too, I guess. All this shall pass.
Murphy's Law is in full effect. Let's just say that the relaunch isn't going exactly as planned. We'll get there, though. I'm just not very good at being ineffectual. I'm also not very good at being nostalgic. Last night, with all of the anticipation and excitement about the relaunch, I waxed romantic about a former girlfriend, even emailing her a thank-you message for her long-ago support and interest. I should not do things like that. Stupid, stupid Heath. That'll work itself out, too, I guess. All this shall pass.
Monday, January 27, 2003
Mention Me! XXXIII
Adam Gaffin highlights the Boston World Explorers' Foundation's inaugural outing today in Boston Common. This is a solid site I'll have to return to.
What is Boston Common? "Boston Weblogs are cool, interesting, funny, thought-provoking and sometimes maddening. Couple Boston Weblogs with Boston forums and Usenet newsgroups and you've got the makings of a great online magazine. This Weblog is an attempt to sift through all those postings to find stuff you might also find interesting."
Welcome, Boston Commoners! Now you're Media Dieticians, too.
Adam Gaffin highlights the Boston World Explorers' Foundation's inaugural outing today in Boston Common. This is a solid site I'll have to return to.
What is Boston Common? "Boston Weblogs are cool, interesting, funny, thought-provoking and sometimes maddening. Couple Boston Weblogs with Boston forums and Usenet newsgroups and you've got the makings of a great online magazine. This Weblog is an attempt to sift through all those postings to find stuff you might also find interesting."
Welcome, Boston Commoners! Now you're Media Dieticians, too.
Workaday World XIII
Tomorrow, we launch the new online community platform for the Company of Friends, Fast Company magazine's readers' network. I founded the network back in 1997 and have spent the last five-plus years coordinating and managing it.
Normally, when I email the 42,000 members, I get a little nervous. That's a lot of people. But tonight, having just queued up the relaunch and redesign announcement for emailing, I'm more than a little nervous. This is a good step for the network, but it's a big step. Excited, nervous, hopeful, curious.
I hope people like what we've done.
Tomorrow, we launch the new online community platform for the Company of Friends, Fast Company magazine's readers' network. I founded the network back in 1997 and have spent the last five-plus years coordinating and managing it.
Normally, when I email the 42,000 members, I get a little nervous. That's a lot of people. But tonight, having just queued up the relaunch and redesign announcement for emailing, I'm more than a little nervous. This is a good step for the network, but it's a big step. Excited, nervous, hopeful, curious.
I hope people like what we've done.
Hiking History III
The Boston World Explorers' Foundation held its inaugural meeting Sunday afternoon, with four founding members gathering at the statue of Captain Farragut at City Point in South Boston to explore the environs of Castle Island and Fort Independence.
Walking from Broadway station on the Red Line, Hiromi and I made our way along South Boston's main commercial street and through a decidedly industrial section before reaching City point and meeting up with Brad and Jennifer. One of the old buildings we passed on the way, just before we walked past the Edison power plant, had cryptic letters, numbers, and arrows stenciled on the building's brick corners. What are these codes for? Near Independence Square, we also passed an old factory building that's been closed down for asbestos removal.
The island is now connected to the mainland with a walkway winding around Pleasure Bay, but the fort is still largely as it was way back when. During the tourist season, the fort is open for guided tours, but in the off season -- which is now -- the fort is closed. So are the snack bar and the public restrooms. "Seasonal!" quickly became a popular cry in response to a suggestion that was difficult or impossible.
One of the highlights of the day was finding a Bruce Lee stencil spray painted on a corner of the fort building. Another highlight was finding an arrangement of broken shell pieces spelling out the word "love" -- using a concrete round set into the soil as the "o."
In addition to its history as a military outpost and the numerous war memorials -- and thin spire to honor a local boatmaker -- that line its perimeter, Castle Island comes complete with a fascinating story. Rumor is that Edgar Allen Poe, who was born in Boston and served briefly as a soldier on the island, wrote "The Cask of Amontillado" based on a legend he heard while serving in the armed forces there.
My memory may be faulty, but the general sense of the story is that an officer on the island took offense at the actions of a younger soldier. I don't recall what the action was, but it may have involved a young woman or a night watch the soldier accidentally missed. The officer challenged the soldier to a duel, and even though other people in the company protested that the young soldier's actions didn't warrant a duel, the officer insisted. The duel occurred, and the officer killed the young, innocent soldier. Some of the soldier's friends inquired about the officer's previous tours of duty and learned that in every instance, in every location, the officer had found cause to challenge someone to a duel -- killing them in that duel. The officer had found a form of officially sanctioned murder within the armed forces. The young soldier's friends ganged up on the murderous officer and sealed him into a section of brick wall, either in the fort itself or in an installation once outside the fort.
After walking around the fort, we headed around the bay along the walkway. On the far side of the walkway was a fascinating circular concrete structure that reminded us of '70s or '50s motel design. With a ladder, you could easily carry a bicycle up top to ride around the platform. We watched the geese and seagulls and enjoyed the panoramic views of the Boston skyline -- as well as the sound of sea water lapping against the rocks.
The walkway also afforded good views of the outer harbor, including an island that now houses globular sewage treatment facilities, an island that was once a dumping ground for dead horses and cattle -- and then an illegal casino and bar complex during the prohibition -- and an island once used to house an insane asylum, part of which is now ruins.
Then it was back to the car, Broadway station, and home. Thanks to Hiromi, Brad, and Jennifer for their role as founding members of the Boston World Explorers' Foundation. I think we may have even decided on a slogan for the group: "I may not know where we're going, but I've read a lot about it." The adventures will continue.
The Boston World Explorers' Foundation held its inaugural meeting Sunday afternoon, with four founding members gathering at the statue of Captain Farragut at City Point in South Boston to explore the environs of Castle Island and Fort Independence.
Walking from Broadway station on the Red Line, Hiromi and I made our way along South Boston's main commercial street and through a decidedly industrial section before reaching City point and meeting up with Brad and Jennifer. One of the old buildings we passed on the way, just before we walked past the Edison power plant, had cryptic letters, numbers, and arrows stenciled on the building's brick corners. What are these codes for? Near Independence Square, we also passed an old factory building that's been closed down for asbestos removal.
The island is now connected to the mainland with a walkway winding around Pleasure Bay, but the fort is still largely as it was way back when. During the tourist season, the fort is open for guided tours, but in the off season -- which is now -- the fort is closed. So are the snack bar and the public restrooms. "Seasonal!" quickly became a popular cry in response to a suggestion that was difficult or impossible.
One of the highlights of the day was finding a Bruce Lee stencil spray painted on a corner of the fort building. Another highlight was finding an arrangement of broken shell pieces spelling out the word "love" -- using a concrete round set into the soil as the "o."
In addition to its history as a military outpost and the numerous war memorials -- and thin spire to honor a local boatmaker -- that line its perimeter, Castle Island comes complete with a fascinating story. Rumor is that Edgar Allen Poe, who was born in Boston and served briefly as a soldier on the island, wrote "The Cask of Amontillado" based on a legend he heard while serving in the armed forces there.
My memory may be faulty, but the general sense of the story is that an officer on the island took offense at the actions of a younger soldier. I don't recall what the action was, but it may have involved a young woman or a night watch the soldier accidentally missed. The officer challenged the soldier to a duel, and even though other people in the company protested that the young soldier's actions didn't warrant a duel, the officer insisted. The duel occurred, and the officer killed the young, innocent soldier. Some of the soldier's friends inquired about the officer's previous tours of duty and learned that in every instance, in every location, the officer had found cause to challenge someone to a duel -- killing them in that duel. The officer had found a form of officially sanctioned murder within the armed forces. The young soldier's friends ganged up on the murderous officer and sealed him into a section of brick wall, either in the fort itself or in an installation once outside the fort.
After walking around the fort, we headed around the bay along the walkway. On the far side of the walkway was a fascinating circular concrete structure that reminded us of '70s or '50s motel design. With a ladder, you could easily carry a bicycle up top to ride around the platform. We watched the geese and seagulls and enjoyed the panoramic views of the Boston skyline -- as well as the sound of sea water lapping against the rocks.
The walkway also afforded good views of the outer harbor, including an island that now houses globular sewage treatment facilities, an island that was once a dumping ground for dead horses and cattle -- and then an illegal casino and bar complex during the prohibition -- and an island once used to house an insane asylum, part of which is now ruins.
Then it was back to the car, Broadway station, and home. Thanks to Hiromi, Brad, and Jennifer for their role as founding members of the Boston World Explorers' Foundation. I think we may have even decided on a slogan for the group: "I may not know where we're going, but I've read a lot about it." The adventures will continue.
The Movie I Watched Last Night LVI
The Blair Witch Project
To help pass time while reading magazines on the Big Blue Couch on Friday night, I popped in The Blair Witch Project. While I wish I'd originally seen it back in 1999 without having read so much about the movie, the film holds up well to my first viewing in the theaters. Several aspects of the film resonate with me: the need to document experiences; a fascination with lost, bizarre local history; and stomping around in the woods -- or city, for that matter -- looking for things you've read about. This viewing, I felt like they gave the interview segments with locals short shrift and that, outside of the scene at coffin rock, the history was poorly presented. I also didn't connect as much with the decay of the filmmaking trio's friendships as they got lost deeper and deeper into the woods. So I was pleasantly surprised when they finally started discovering the totems, they stumbled across the abandoned house in the night, and the movie proceeded to accelerate to its relatively anticlimactic, though satisying, end. As a faux documentary, this was done pretty well. As a horror movie, I'm not so sure. Has anyone seen the sequel? Is it a waste of time, or does it build on the witch mythos and back story?
Between the Lines
A surprisingly solid all-star cast populates this little-known 1977 movie that tells the tale of a small, scrappy alternative newspaper in Boston -- the Back Bay Mainline -- that's on the brink of being bought out by a larger, corporate publisher. Riffing on the evolution of the once-proud Real Paper into what is now the Boston Phoenix media empire, I wonder how loosely based the movie is on the alt.weekly scene in Beantown. The story, while slightly cartoony in its portrayal of the stereotypical independent journalists and the stories they pursue, is an engaging look at how a media merger affects the content of the paper, as well as the relationships among the staff. And it's the staff -- the cast -- that amazed me here. Jeff Goldblum plays a manic, down-on-his-luck rock critic who, in one scene, gives a "performance artist" who shows up at the office demanding to be interviewed a run for his money. Bruno Kirby, almost unrecognizable, plays a hapless newbie who can't quite write, and who gets stomped for trying to out a local record bootlegger. You've also got actors who went on to be in L.A. Law and Taxi. Stellar. A great, unsung media movie. If you work in journalism at all, check this out. The issues surrounding mergers remain, although the romantic portrayal of what it's like being an independent journalist is a little dated.
Shallow Hal
I never would have paid money to see this in a theater, much less rent it, but there it was on HBO on Saturday night, a night I was trying to stay in to read and have a quiet night at home for a change. So I watched it. I enjoy Jack Black, who I thought was relatively mellow in this movie, and I was pleased by the people he surrounded himself with in the movie. Nice to see Kyle Gass in the movie, and even Jason Alexander was quietly present in the movie. The gist of the story is that Black's character, Hal, gets trapped in an elevator with the motivational speaker Tony Robbins. After Robbins works his mojo, shallow Hal now only sees what's really inside people. Homely, good-hearted people appear beautiful. And duplicitous, beautiful people are seen as haggard and ugly. The jokes of the movie, which could have been much more aggressive and slapstick, are based on the premise that now Hal's only attracted to fat and ugly people who are good and pure inside. Enter Gwyneth Paltrow's character. Seen as a slim, shapely, beautiful woman, she's actually quite large. Chair-breaking large. They fall in love before Robbins' mojo is removed and Hal is able to see things as they really are. While I didn't buy his conversion and undying love for Paltrow's roly-poly Rosemary, I was touched by his affection for the children in the pediatric burn ward. I was also intrigued by the parallels to The Sixth Sense because I couldn't always tell whether I was seeing characters as Hal saw them or as they really were. In the end, an OK movie, but one torn between wanting to be a comedy -- and wanting to be a message movie. It doesn't quite succeed as either.
The Blair Witch Project
To help pass time while reading magazines on the Big Blue Couch on Friday night, I popped in The Blair Witch Project. While I wish I'd originally seen it back in 1999 without having read so much about the movie, the film holds up well to my first viewing in the theaters. Several aspects of the film resonate with me: the need to document experiences; a fascination with lost, bizarre local history; and stomping around in the woods -- or city, for that matter -- looking for things you've read about. This viewing, I felt like they gave the interview segments with locals short shrift and that, outside of the scene at coffin rock, the history was poorly presented. I also didn't connect as much with the decay of the filmmaking trio's friendships as they got lost deeper and deeper into the woods. So I was pleasantly surprised when they finally started discovering the totems, they stumbled across the abandoned house in the night, and the movie proceeded to accelerate to its relatively anticlimactic, though satisying, end. As a faux documentary, this was done pretty well. As a horror movie, I'm not so sure. Has anyone seen the sequel? Is it a waste of time, or does it build on the witch mythos and back story?
Between the Lines
A surprisingly solid all-star cast populates this little-known 1977 movie that tells the tale of a small, scrappy alternative newspaper in Boston -- the Back Bay Mainline -- that's on the brink of being bought out by a larger, corporate publisher. Riffing on the evolution of the once-proud Real Paper into what is now the Boston Phoenix media empire, I wonder how loosely based the movie is on the alt.weekly scene in Beantown. The story, while slightly cartoony in its portrayal of the stereotypical independent journalists and the stories they pursue, is an engaging look at how a media merger affects the content of the paper, as well as the relationships among the staff. And it's the staff -- the cast -- that amazed me here. Jeff Goldblum plays a manic, down-on-his-luck rock critic who, in one scene, gives a "performance artist" who shows up at the office demanding to be interviewed a run for his money. Bruno Kirby, almost unrecognizable, plays a hapless newbie who can't quite write, and who gets stomped for trying to out a local record bootlegger. You've also got actors who went on to be in L.A. Law and Taxi. Stellar. A great, unsung media movie. If you work in journalism at all, check this out. The issues surrounding mergers remain, although the romantic portrayal of what it's like being an independent journalist is a little dated.
Shallow Hal
I never would have paid money to see this in a theater, much less rent it, but there it was on HBO on Saturday night, a night I was trying to stay in to read and have a quiet night at home for a change. So I watched it. I enjoy Jack Black, who I thought was relatively mellow in this movie, and I was pleased by the people he surrounded himself with in the movie. Nice to see Kyle Gass in the movie, and even Jason Alexander was quietly present in the movie. The gist of the story is that Black's character, Hal, gets trapped in an elevator with the motivational speaker Tony Robbins. After Robbins works his mojo, shallow Hal now only sees what's really inside people. Homely, good-hearted people appear beautiful. And duplicitous, beautiful people are seen as haggard and ugly. The jokes of the movie, which could have been much more aggressive and slapstick, are based on the premise that now Hal's only attracted to fat and ugly people who are good and pure inside. Enter Gwyneth Paltrow's character. Seen as a slim, shapely, beautiful woman, she's actually quite large. Chair-breaking large. They fall in love before Robbins' mojo is removed and Hal is able to see things as they really are. While I didn't buy his conversion and undying love for Paltrow's roly-poly Rosemary, I was touched by his affection for the children in the pediatric burn ward. I was also intrigued by the parallels to The Sixth Sense because I couldn't always tell whether I was seeing characters as Hal saw them or as they really were. In the end, an OK movie, but one torn between wanting to be a comedy -- and wanting to be a message movie. It doesn't quite succeed as either.
Friday, January 24, 2003
Hiking History II
My pedestrian explorations of Boston's past continued today, straddling the North End and downtown. Davo and I set out in search of centers, starting at the Boston Stone embedded in a wall not far from Ye Olde Union Oyster House, which has been in operation since 1826. The Boston Stone was brought to the United States in 1700 and was used to grind paint pigments. Installed as a marker in 1737, the stone has been rumored to be the point from which all distances from Boston were measured. Sources conflict on that matter. Also, upstairs from the oyster house was the printing shop for the Massachusetts Spy, the first newspaper in America.
Not far from the Blackstone Block, Boston's oldest commercial block, is Faneuil Hall and Quincy Marketplace. The sidewalks and courtyard in the area are marked with building and street locations circa 1819, an interesting exercise in mapping the city's past on the city itself. Nearby are several bronze statues of note, including Anne Whitney's 1873 state of Samuel Adams and Lloyd Lillie's 1989 double of Mayor James Michael Curley. Curley held his first elected office in 1904 while in jail, and in 1946, President Truman had to pardon him to serve as mayor -- an election Curley won while in prison again.
Then we looked for the next center. And looked. And looked. According to Bizarro Boston there's a bronze plaque near Filene's and Downtown Crossing noting the exact center of the universe. The neighborhood has been rejuvenated, as marked by a stone inset near where I expected the plaque to be, so perhaps the sign has been removed or moved. Regardless, Davo and I couldn't find it.
On the way back toward the office, we walked past the Boston Globe's original location back when Washington Street was called Newspaper Row. We also made a point of stopping by 383 Salem St., now a vacant space, but once Langone's Funeral Home where Sacco and Vanzetti were laid out following their executions in 1927. Spectators spread out the length of Hanover Street. The two were later cremated at Forest Hills Cemetery.
Source: Greg and Katherine Letterman, Walking Boston
My pedestrian explorations of Boston's past continued today, straddling the North End and downtown. Davo and I set out in search of centers, starting at the Boston Stone embedded in a wall not far from Ye Olde Union Oyster House, which has been in operation since 1826. The Boston Stone was brought to the United States in 1700 and was used to grind paint pigments. Installed as a marker in 1737, the stone has been rumored to be the point from which all distances from Boston were measured. Sources conflict on that matter. Also, upstairs from the oyster house was the printing shop for the Massachusetts Spy, the first newspaper in America.
Not far from the Blackstone Block, Boston's oldest commercial block, is Faneuil Hall and Quincy Marketplace. The sidewalks and courtyard in the area are marked with building and street locations circa 1819, an interesting exercise in mapping the city's past on the city itself. Nearby are several bronze statues of note, including Anne Whitney's 1873 state of Samuel Adams and Lloyd Lillie's 1989 double of Mayor James Michael Curley. Curley held his first elected office in 1904 while in jail, and in 1946, President Truman had to pardon him to serve as mayor -- an election Curley won while in prison again.
Then we looked for the next center. And looked. And looked. According to Bizarro Boston there's a bronze plaque near Filene's and Downtown Crossing noting the exact center of the universe. The neighborhood has been rejuvenated, as marked by a stone inset near where I expected the plaque to be, so perhaps the sign has been removed or moved. Regardless, Davo and I couldn't find it.
On the way back toward the office, we walked past the Boston Globe's original location back when Washington Street was called Newspaper Row. We also made a point of stopping by 383 Salem St., now a vacant space, but once Langone's Funeral Home where Sacco and Vanzetti were laid out following their executions in 1927. Spectators spread out the length of Hanover Street. The two were later cremated at Forest Hills Cemetery.
Source: Greg and Katherine Letterman, Walking Boston
The Movie I Watched Last Night LV
Johnny Mnemonic
I so wanted this movie to be good. Based on a short story by William Gibson, this is one of the most important cyberpunk pieces to date. Robert Longo's screen adaptation, despite a screenplay by Gibson himself, falls far short of what the movie could have been. Keanu Reeves performs at his wooden, mangling most of the dramatically necessary dialogue with a ham-handed delivery. Henry Rollins is similarly doltish, failing entirely as the heroic, principled medico. Udo Kier's Ralfi is satisfyingly creepy, although I could easily see Dean Stockwell or Dennis Hopper in that role. Of the cast, Ice-T stands out far above the others regardless of an underused presence until the end of the movie. His Low-tech parallel society with a media network in an elevated city state constructed out of garbage emerges as the most successful meme in the film. Stronger than the uber-dolphin, and stronger than Dolph Lundgren's street preacher. Lastly, compared to the graphic representations of the net in The Net and Hackers, the animations developed by Braid Media Arts shine quite brightly. Read the story. The movie is merely a curiosity.
The Lawnmower Man
Not that there have been many successful TV or movie adaptations of Stephen King's writing, but you know a movie is bad if the original author takes legal action to stop the filmmakers from associating his name with the movie and its promotion. "The Lawnmower Man" is one of King's most delightfully dark short stories, and the movie, while drawing lightly on some scenes and images from the story, adds and reworks so much, that the lineage is hardly direct. The King connection aside, this is a forward-thinking look at how virtual reality could be used to improve and augment human cognition. Pierce Brosnan's researcher improves the intelligence of an abused, developmentally disabled man, who rises up as a superhuman in the end, able to tap into the VR space while still in the real world. Jeff Fahey's Jobe Smith develops well -- intellectually and physically -- throughout the film, and the representations of VR aren't that bad. But in the end, the ethical quandary of messing with the human psyche gets short shrift, the director resorts to special effects, and the plot is left hanging, ripe for a sequel. The film doesn't capture King's original vision, and the resulting vision is so far removed -- and so unsatisyfing -- that The Lawnmower Man ends up as so much mulch.
Johnny Mnemonic
I so wanted this movie to be good. Based on a short story by William Gibson, this is one of the most important cyberpunk pieces to date. Robert Longo's screen adaptation, despite a screenplay by Gibson himself, falls far short of what the movie could have been. Keanu Reeves performs at his wooden, mangling most of the dramatically necessary dialogue with a ham-handed delivery. Henry Rollins is similarly doltish, failing entirely as the heroic, principled medico. Udo Kier's Ralfi is satisfyingly creepy, although I could easily see Dean Stockwell or Dennis Hopper in that role. Of the cast, Ice-T stands out far above the others regardless of an underused presence until the end of the movie. His Low-tech parallel society with a media network in an elevated city state constructed out of garbage emerges as the most successful meme in the film. Stronger than the uber-dolphin, and stronger than Dolph Lundgren's street preacher. Lastly, compared to the graphic representations of the net in The Net and Hackers, the animations developed by Braid Media Arts shine quite brightly. Read the story. The movie is merely a curiosity.
The Lawnmower Man
Not that there have been many successful TV or movie adaptations of Stephen King's writing, but you know a movie is bad if the original author takes legal action to stop the filmmakers from associating his name with the movie and its promotion. "The Lawnmower Man" is one of King's most delightfully dark short stories, and the movie, while drawing lightly on some scenes and images from the story, adds and reworks so much, that the lineage is hardly direct. The King connection aside, this is a forward-thinking look at how virtual reality could be used to improve and augment human cognition. Pierce Brosnan's researcher improves the intelligence of an abused, developmentally disabled man, who rises up as a superhuman in the end, able to tap into the VR space while still in the real world. Jeff Fahey's Jobe Smith develops well -- intellectually and physically -- throughout the film, and the representations of VR aren't that bad. But in the end, the ethical quandary of messing with the human psyche gets short shrift, the director resorts to special effects, and the plot is left hanging, ripe for a sequel. The film doesn't capture King's original vision, and the resulting vision is so far removed -- and so unsatisyfing -- that The Lawnmower Man ends up as so much mulch.
Products I Love VI
Just as I re-sleeve my CD's in space-saving slip cases from Univenture, I've started thinking that my DVD's are starting to take up too much room, too. So I recently ordered a couple of DVD albums from Case Logic.
While I certainly don't need to retain the bulky plastic packaging DVD's come with, I was wondering what I'd do with the jacket inserts -- if they were worth keeping at all. A pleasant surprise: Case Logic's DVD albums (I opted for the 40-count case) come with pages outfitted to hold the DVD's as well as the jacket inserts -- so there's no loss of content or art, and the DVD's are more easily found. Good call, Case Logic.
Case Logic also offers DVD storage trays and other products, but I think these DVD albums are spot on. Space saved!
Just as I re-sleeve my CD's in space-saving slip cases from Univenture, I've started thinking that my DVD's are starting to take up too much room, too. So I recently ordered a couple of DVD albums from Case Logic.
While I certainly don't need to retain the bulky plastic packaging DVD's come with, I was wondering what I'd do with the jacket inserts -- if they were worth keeping at all. A pleasant surprise: Case Logic's DVD albums (I opted for the 40-count case) come with pages outfitted to hold the DVD's as well as the jacket inserts -- so there's no loss of content or art, and the DVD's are more easily found. Good call, Case Logic.
Case Logic also offers DVD storage trays and other products, but I think these DVD albums are spot on. Space saved!
Comic Strip Crossover
Courtesy of OzComics:
I know I could be slow on the uptake, but am I learning about this from Australia? Fun stuff.
Courtesy of OzComics:
This coming Tuesday, January 28, will bring a special post-holiday treat to fans of the alternative weekly comics genre. Ted Rall, whose controversial, politically-themed strip "Seach & Destroy" is published weekly in over 100 newspapers in the US and abroad) will for one week take the reigns of Tony Millionaire's popular weekly strip "Maakies", (three-time Eisner award winner Millionaire is also the creator of the acclaimed Fantagraphics book "The House at Maakies Corner"; also Dark Horse's "Sock Monkey).
Both cartoonists had exchanged harsh words in the wake of a 1999 lawsuit concerning a critical article Rall wrote about Pulitzer Prize-winning "MAUS" creator Art Spiegelman; thankfully, Rall and Millionaire have chosen to holster their guns in the interest of creating great comics, for the benefit of fans worldwide.
I know I could be slow on the uptake, but am I learning about this from Australia? Fun stuff.
Making Radio Waves
From Bob Dubrow, proprietor of Kimchee Records and now-former host of WMBR-FM's Pipeline:
Wow. Nine years hosting Pipeline. Thanks for all you've done, Bob, and may you continue to do even more!
From Bob Dubrow, proprietor of Kimchee Records and now-former host of WMBR-FM's Pipeline:
Bob Dubrow is leaving WMBR's Pipeline! show after 9 years as host.
He will be passing the reigns to Jeff Breeze, editor of the Northeast Performer magazine.
Bob's final show is on Tuesday, February 11. It will be extended to 4 hours, from 8:00 pm to midnight.
To celebrate, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters will be playing a full live electric set during the show . 4/5s of her original band has reformed after 20 years and they've added a fifth member. They have a new album entitled Piece of Mind due for release on February 15, coinciding with the day of their release party at the Middle East.
In addition to the Chartbusters, many guests have been invited to take to the mics and play a tune or two throughout the show's 4-hour span. Verified guests include:
Charlie Chesterman Chris Brokaw Thalia Zedek John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard 27 and possibly some by Big Dipper folk.
Plus there will be more to be announced. (Inquiries are out to Roger Miller, Nat Freedburg, Robert Fisher, and more...)
We especially want to make you press folk aware so such a fun night of live music doesn't get lost in the air...
There will be updates sent out to you on additional live guests or changes as the show approaches. We hope to have the final line-up by the end of the month...
Bob will be moving on to host Lost & Found on WMBR alternate Mondays from noon-2:00. Lost & Found airs every weekday at that time and features mostly non-commercial music (and an occassional hit) from the '60s-early '70s.
Wow. Nine years hosting Pipeline. Thanks for all you've done, Bob, and may you continue to do even more!
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Games People Play III
A co-worker developed an Unreal Tournament
A co-worker developed an Unreal Tournament