1. AppleInsider has some evocative and eerie photos from the inside of the mansion Steve Jobs used to live in, which has fallen into disrepair. Jobs reportedly wants to tear the house down, while local preservationists want it to stay standing. These photos are courtesy Jonathan Haeber, whose work can be found here.
["The Jackling House, so it's called, was built back in 1925 for copper mining mogul Daniel Jackling. Preservationists have opposed Jobs' efforts, arguing that it represents one of the few remaining examples of a Spanish Colonial Revival style home and is therefore too historic to destroy. They also allege that Jobs, who reportedly lived in the house sometime between the 80's and 90's, intentionally let the house fall apart so that it would be easier to justify a case for tearing it down."]
2. And now, unofficial sequels to films that came out in 2007. First, Steve Wiebe of The King of Kong has set a brand new video-game record for Donkey Kong, Jr. Fortunately, it is not the Donkey Kong Jr. Math edition. (I actually think everyone who linked to this has made that joke.)
["The new World Record mark was accomplished on March 14 and verified by Twin Galaxies Chief Referee David Nelson. Steve's new World Record mark of 1,139,800 points takes the Donkey Kong Junior crown from fellow Washington state native Ike Hall, who was crowned the DKJ World Champ in August 2008 with a score of 1,033,000, taking the crown that Billy Mitchell had held on the game since 1985."]
3. Woman Claims Father Was Infamous Zodiac Killer. Sequels, part 2. Now, there are a few people every year who come out, claiming to be the Zodiac (and/or D.B. Cooper), but this one seems to have a little more to it than most of the others. Also, I am Jack the Ripper. And the Lindbergh baby.
["She said her father took the glasses off of Stine's face and she kept them all these years and only recently realized they belonged to a murder victim and not her father. Perez said she saw a composite sketch of the Zodiac killer in August 2007 and recognized the man as her father, who died in 1983. She said she had never heard of the Zodiac killer prior to seeing the composite sketch."]
4. Maybe I should just make this unofficial summer movies week here because there's that feeling in the air. I mean, YES, new Jarmusch and all, but HOLY HELL WEREWOLVES. To that end, Robert Zemeckis unfairly gets the Internet in a tizzy when he brings up a potential sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, one of my five favorite films about Los Angeles. Please discuss HOW AMAZING it is in comments. (I agree with Internet consensus, though. Please don't make this a CGI fest.)
["But when MTV News caught up with director Robert Zemeckis recently, he dropped a news bomb that had our eyes popping cartoon-style out of our sockets. 'I’ll tell you what is buzzing around in my head now that we have the ability—the digital tools, performance capture—I’m starting to think about Roger Rabbit,' he told us."]
5. Apropos of nothing, buzz for James Cameron's deeply mysterious Avatar is busting out all over. Time appears to be likening the experience of watching a few minutes of the film to some sort of drug. Steven Soderbergh calls it one of those benchmark movies. The New York Times (quoted below) is apparently making up buzz that doesn't exist. This sort of hype is usually impossible to live up to, but editor emeritus Matt Zoller Seitz has long thought 3D had lots of potential to energize the film-going experience, and it sure sounds like Cameron's experiments with the technology are going to be INTERESTING at least.
["Questioned by telephone recently at his home in Mill Valley, Calif., Mr. Quittner said he was still reeling from the experience. 'It was like doing some kind of drug,' he said, describing a scene in which the movie’s hero, played by Sam Worthington, ran around “with this kind of hot alien chick,' was attacked by jaguarlike creatures and was sprinkled with sprites that floated down, like snowflakes. 'You feel like the little feathery things are landing on your arm,' said Mr. Quittner, who remained eager for another dose."]
Quote of the Day:
-Ted Kotcheff
Image of the Day (click to enlarge): Love Obama or hate Obama, slapping this photo of his dog at six weeks on as much merchandise as possible and then selling said merchandise will end this economic crisis post-haste.
Clip of the Day: Jon Stewart vs. Cliff May on the subject of torture. Surprisingly entertaining for something that goes on this long.
For our international friends who can't see Daily Show clips, fun with spelling!The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 1 Daily Show
Full EpisodesEconomic Crisis First 100 Days The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 2 Daily Show
Full EpisodesEconomic Crisis First 100 Days The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 3 Daily Show
Full EpisodesEconomic Crisis First 100 Days
"Links for the Day": A selection of Links that will hopefully spark discussion. Comments encouraged. Suggestions for links are also welcome. Please send to todd@vanderwerff.us.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Links for the Day (April 30th, 2009)
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7 comments:
Re: Spelling Fail
As an English teacher, I have to say I did not find that very funny at all. The guest is clearly in a tight spot, no matter how dumb he is. And 'father' could sound just like 'farther,' especially with a British accent. And 'F-A-R-T-H-E-R' is exactly what he spelled. He may, in fact, be a witty bloke who spelled out exactly what he heard. It sounds like he's about to tell ye olde spelling joke:
Joker: Can you spell it?
Fool: 'F-A-T-H-E-R'
Joker: No. It is spelled 'I-T'.
Really, the joke is on those who submitted and edited the video.
oh yeah and Amen to John Stewert.
And while I'm on a role, Todd, I hope you realize the irony of your introductory statement for the Stewart video.
"Surprisingly entertaining for something that goes on this long."
Listen again to Stewart's last lines of the show.
This conversation could not happen in mainstream news today. This is the death of journalism, folks. A comedy show on cable tv recorded a great, argumentative conversation between two very thoughtful men. And it will never appear on TV. This is Network becoming less like a satire every day. This is the warning of Aldous Huxley, Edward R. Murrow, and Neil Postman.
I don't mean to sound alarmist. Still, who is watching this entire video? If those people choose to discuss the video, what form will that discussion take, and how cogent will their arguments be? And how long will those people remember that video, when there are so many other videos (most of them silly) that they are (supposedly) paying attention to?
I don't mean to sound elitist. However, THND is a relatively 'elitist' website, a judgment I make based on the type of people who are attracted to its regular discussions, and their relatively small number compared to other websites. And how many of the THND visitors will have enough time to watch this video in its entirety?
I don't mean to sound pessimistic. However, by the time everyone who is going to watch this video has consumed it, the internet will have stopped talking about it. It will be functionally empty. Sure, it may spark some conversations, and it may operate effectively in the viewers' subconscious, but so does every other video of which there are several.
In short, we are distracted. Effective viewing and discussion of this argument is no longer possible.
Want to prove me wrong and try to get this baby truly discussed online? Good luck. You'll be fighting the waves of "Something Awful: The Internet Makes You Stupid."
It seems to me that the only way for this discussion to have major impact is if people talk about it locally, face to face. And that's a dying medium, too.
Maybe a government lobbyist will listen to this conversation and Obama will give a good speech on torture. Hopefully he comes up with a good zinger for the speech, because the news will need a good sound bite.
(Insert ironic /rant joke here, where any real argument, however bitter, would simply find closure)
/rant
P.S. Torchur is da bom, d00d!!!1 Eff the towelhedz!!!11
P.P.S. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! Applause
Re: 3 and 4 - A great example of an unintentional juxtaposition of images with a funny result as Robert Zemeckis suspiciously resembles the Zodiac killer.
P.P.P.S.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=225892&title=how-to-judge-a-guy-in-100-days
If you think I sound too bitter, watch this episode from two days ago in which Stewart and his writers TEAR DOWN the bad tv news journalism. Stewart is today's Howard Beale. The only difference between the two men is that Stewart is sane and correct. The only difference between their two realities is that a very different part of the public effectively watches and listens to Jon Stewart.
I feel good for Steve Weibe, finally getting uncorrupted recognition for this. Hopefully his attempt at DK will work out in his favor as well.
I can't see how one could call Jon Stewart a thoughtful man from that interview. He and Cliff May weren't even having the same argument - May conceded way too much, but was otherwise consistent in trying to demonstrate the restraint revealed by the memos while Stewart wanted interrogation defenders to admit they were wrong to "torture" at all. Stewart seemed doggedly confused on exactly who is entitled to the protections of the Geneva conventions as well as when the US is bound by them, and he drew ill thought out moral equivalence comparisons between our soldiers and our enemies without regard to the reasons each is fighting. He stamped his foot down on the simple notion that torture is bad and would not listen to anything past that. Stewart seemed to shut down towards the end of the second clip, tossing his pencil, sighing and huffing, and tearing his cue cards into quarter pieces - the dialogue, in so far as there was one, had ended by that point. Towards the end, he was skipping around, making hodge-podge soap box points that had little to do, really, with the revelations of the memos and contradicted himself when he asserted that a plea of "temporary insanity" would cleanse us and make us a better country. Temporary insanity? Is that what he thinks the post 9/11 mindset was all about and what led to our interrogation policies? Is that what he thinks the memos reveal? He assured May that he "understands blood-lust" and "revenge" - as if that was the reason for us water-boarding terrorists. Stewart then admitted that "in the history of this country that wasn't even as nutty as we usually get, so we should take pride in that!" The word nutty is ill-chosen, but he's otherwise right - yet somehow I can't imagine him following that comment with praise to President Bush for not getting as "nutty" as we usually get. He dismissed any desire to go after the lawyers who advised officials on these policies, but where does he think the Left and the Democrats (the ones not afraid of their own involvement in the matter) are going with this memo business? I really don't think Stewart comprehends the political waters this issue swims in or the impact it will have on the country. He can't even admit when he agrees with Dick Cheney. All he thinks he needs to know is that torture is bad and we shouldn't do it.
I've noticed that Jon Stewart, over the years, plays a shell game between being a substantive pundit and an oafish comedian - employing the latter so he doesn't have to defend the former. He did this when May asked him directly if he had read the memos and Stewart declined to answer the question, lapsing, instead, into the comedian. I find it hard to accept Stewart's serious arguments when he is unwilling to commit to them when challenged.
I had to force myself to watch this interview because they were simply talking past each other like any political debate show on the news channels. I generally cringe when any National Review guy, whether it's May or Jonah Goldberg, goes on a show like The Daily Show, because I think its a fools game on their part. I'm not sure what they hope to accomplish by playing.
Stewart is funny, smart, and nice - yes. But not particularly thoughtful.
I will give Stewart credit, though, for his ability to admit he's wrong when he realizes it. May cornered Stewart into expressing a position where his logic naturally led him: that Truman was a war criminal for dropping the atomic bombs on a civilian population. Stewart has since recanted and admitted it was a stupid thing to say. Whether he'll revisit his chain of logic that brought him to that point, though, has yet to be seen.
Stewart's recantation is here:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDI3YjgxNDJiY2QyODY1OWU0MmZjNmIyMTUwMTQyYTI=
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