Apartment 304*
comrades + politics + pop culture
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Here's...um...Eric on Idol
Yah, so I caved to the zeitgeist and watched my first episode of American Idol (not counting a sidelong glance or three at Clay Aiken's coronation episode last (?) season).
Not too many surprises, really. Simon is an ass. Paula is a sweetie. Randy splits the difference.
The product placement was amazing. Not even the ubiquitous Coca-Cola (tm) products, so much as the truly bizarre...skit, we'll call it... wherein the remaining competitors worked at a Subway (tm). Why? The entire sequence existed in this strange space between Idol-themed advertising (e.g. the Simon, Vanilla Coke and the Mob spot) and your regularly scheduled programming.
Some thoughts on the voting:
1.) You can vote more than once. I suspect this is news to no one, save fellow Idol-er Stephanie and myself. Facinated, we cast an extra, third vote between the two of us. What if democracy worked this way? Bonus points for effort.
2.) I'm interested in how the results might change if, instead of counting votes for preferred contestants, the voting was of a Survivor bent. I wonder how often the candidate who receives the least number of "favorite" votes would actually be the candidate who would receive the greatest number of "least favorite" votes.
As far as specific performances, I thought Diana's was the best by a fair margin. I thought she sang well, and didn't hide from the theme -- she also, unlike almost everyone else, didn't sing like she was primarily concerned with not screwing up.
John, on the other hand, must have picked the least Latin-influenced song Gloria E. has ever recorded. Also, he sucks. But everyone except me already knew that.
John, however, won't be departing after tonight's voting. If he's gotten this far, he clearly has a posse, or groupies, or whatever to save him from himself. No, it is George who will be leaving us.
Not yet sure what I think of AI overall. Perhaps I'll have to watch again next week.
Not too many surprises, really. Simon is an ass. Paula is a sweetie. Randy splits the difference.
The product placement was amazing. Not even the ubiquitous Coca-Cola (tm) products, so much as the truly bizarre...skit, we'll call it... wherein the remaining competitors worked at a Subway (tm). Why? The entire sequence existed in this strange space between Idol-themed advertising (e.g. the Simon, Vanilla Coke and the Mob spot) and your regularly scheduled programming.
Some thoughts on the voting:
1.) You can vote more than once. I suspect this is news to no one, save fellow Idol-er Stephanie and myself. Facinated, we cast an extra, third vote between the two of us. What if democracy worked this way? Bonus points for effort.
2.) I'm interested in how the results might change if, instead of counting votes for preferred contestants, the voting was of a Survivor bent. I wonder how often the candidate who receives the least number of "favorite" votes would actually be the candidate who would receive the greatest number of "least favorite" votes.
As far as specific performances, I thought Diana's was the best by a fair margin. I thought she sang well, and didn't hide from the theme -- she also, unlike almost everyone else, didn't sing like she was primarily concerned with not screwing up.
John, on the other hand, must have picked the least Latin-influenced song Gloria E. has ever recorded. Also, he sucks. But everyone except me already knew that.
John, however, won't be departing after tonight's voting. If he's gotten this far, he clearly has a posse, or groupies, or whatever to save him from himself. No, it is George who will be leaving us.
Not yet sure what I think of AI overall. Perhaps I'll have to watch again next week.
Late Capitalism & Me
The old adage says youthful liberals turn Republican when they get their first paycheck, but I started work today at Barnes & Noble for a paltry $6.50 per hour, a salary which cannot but leave one sympathetic to demands for a violent redistribution of wealth.
In case you were wondering, I arrived at this job by the same reasoning that led me to grad school: I spend a lot of time and money here... Maybe they'll pay me to stick around. Also there's a 30% discount. And lots of waify, bookish gay boys with thoughtful hair.
The store also exerts a kind of sociological fascination for me, mainly because a whole set of social experiences and routines (especially for youth culture) have been integrated into what is essentially a retail space. In the suburban (or exurban) land of big box stores, B&N figures not only as a primary source of ideas in print, but also as a kind of communal cultural center -- a public square of sorts, where we should all wear togas. This is, of course, part of the company's self-projected image. But I think it has roots in reality that are worth exploring.
Whether this is good or bad is another issue. Most clearly illustrated in the fevered debates about Wal-Mart, the role of megacorporations in a democratic consumer society is a tendentious issue. Is the market a better or worse arbiter of news and information? Better or worse than what? And for whom, specifically?
Just a hint: I'm on the market side. Maybe I'm becoming a Republican after all!
P.S. I requested Idol nights off, citing an unspecificed "standing social engagement."
In case you were wondering, I arrived at this job by the same reasoning that led me to grad school: I spend a lot of time and money here... Maybe they'll pay me to stick around. Also there's a 30% discount. And lots of waify, bookish gay boys with thoughtful hair.
The store also exerts a kind of sociological fascination for me, mainly because a whole set of social experiences and routines (especially for youth culture) have been integrated into what is essentially a retail space. In the suburban (or exurban) land of big box stores, B&N figures not only as a primary source of ideas in print, but also as a kind of communal cultural center -- a public square of sorts, where we should all wear togas. This is, of course, part of the company's self-projected image. But I think it has roots in reality that are worth exploring.
Whether this is good or bad is another issue. Most clearly illustrated in the fevered debates about Wal-Mart, the role of megacorporations in a democratic consumer society is a tendentious issue. Is the market a better or worse arbiter of news and information? Better or worse than what? And for whom, specifically?
Just a hint: I'm on the market side. Maybe I'm becoming a Republican after all!
P.S. I requested Idol nights off, citing an unspecificed "standing social engagement."
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Globe-Trotting Power-Users, Unite!
The disclaimer comes first: I've never used iTunes, Rhapsody, or any other online music service, downloading or streaming. I even missed out on the Napster thing, by and large, due to Mac-compatibility issues. Perhaps that's why I don't understand Wednesday's Slate-riff on, among other things, the limitations of licensing music from iTunes rather than actually owning it.
The author laments: "A song bought at iTunes in "AAC," or Advanced Audio Coding, format won't work on anything but an iPod."
This, in a sense, is true.
Indeed, "Most legal downloads will work only on approved devices." Fine. It pains me that I can't play AACs on an unapproved 8-track deck (or any other mp3 players).
But the "won't work on anything but..." line sorta glosses over the fact that, well, you can make all the CDs you want with iTunes. You know -- Rip, Mix, Burn and all that.
To be sure, the threat of license-based music is far more insidious than mere compatability issues. After all, "[the licensed music schtick] actively discriminates against the sort of globe-trotting power-user whose life sprawls over lots of devices" (emphasis added). Active discrimination! Against GTPUs! Forgive me if I'm not convinced.
In other news, a report published in the Journal of Death Studies has found:
"Among American, Chinese and Turkish writers, poets died significantly younger than nonfiction writers," Kaufman wrote in the report. "Among the entire sample, poets died younger than both fiction writers and nonfiction writers."
I wonder how bloggers will fare...
The author laments: "A song bought at iTunes in "AAC," or Advanced Audio Coding, format won't work on anything but an iPod."
This, in a sense, is true.
Indeed, "Most legal downloads will work only on approved devices." Fine. It pains me that I can't play AACs on an unapproved 8-track deck (or any other mp3 players).
But the "won't work on anything but..." line sorta glosses over the fact that, well, you can make all the CDs you want with iTunes. You know -- Rip, Mix, Burn and all that.
To be sure, the threat of license-based music is far more insidious than mere compatability issues. After all, "[the licensed music schtick] actively discriminates against the sort of globe-trotting power-user whose life sprawls over lots of devices" (emphasis added). Active discrimination! Against GTPUs! Forgive me if I'm not convinced.
In other news, a report published in the Journal of Death Studies has found:
"Among American, Chinese and Turkish writers, poets died significantly younger than nonfiction writers," Kaufman wrote in the report. "Among the entire sample, poets died younger than both fiction writers and nonfiction writers."
I wonder how bloggers will fare...
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
One Dead, Two Wounded in Idol Upheaval
LOS ANGELES — American Idol tonight suffered its worst setback since the talent competition began in earnest some six weeks ago. The ouster of Jennifer Hudson brought shock, mourning and upheaval to a contest many believed was at last getting on track.
Coming off a week of relative gains — a decisive defeat of Jon Peter Lewis' militant faction, followed by the arrival of interim talent director Barry Manilow — Idol administrators had expressed confidence about the show's direction as recently as Tuesday night.
"It's become clear who the best singers in the competition are," Simon Cowell said on Tuesday, indicating that these were Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London.
On tonight's program, it was reported that these three women had received the least number of votes.
Ms. Hudson, a wildcard contestant and late favorite, was then eliminated by what an internal report identified as "the closest margin in American Idol history."
Administration officials quickly condemned the voting and called on Americans to stand firm in their commitment to electing a talented American Idol. "We were proud of Ruben, we were proud of Kelly and Clay," Randall Jackson said, referring to previous winners. "We want to be proud of the American Idol."
Mr. Jackson then issued a stern warning to America, enjoining the nation to unite behind the two remaining divas, or to risk humiliation in the eyes of the world.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for tonight's insurgency. Lending credence to otherwise unsubstantiated reports, Paula Abdul cited a possible alliance between the historically antagonistic supporters of JPL and John Stevens. Ms. Abdul also suggested that "popularity" played a role.
"We can expect a lot more of this kind of thing as we move toward the installment of the third American Idol in May," another official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There are those who are determined to derail the process, to see a shitty singer win."
Coming off a week of relative gains — a decisive defeat of Jon Peter Lewis' militant faction, followed by the arrival of interim talent director Barry Manilow — Idol administrators had expressed confidence about the show's direction as recently as Tuesday night.
"It's become clear who the best singers in the competition are," Simon Cowell said on Tuesday, indicating that these were Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London.
On tonight's program, it was reported that these three women had received the least number of votes.
Ms. Hudson, a wildcard contestant and late favorite, was then eliminated by what an internal report identified as "the closest margin in American Idol history."
Administration officials quickly condemned the voting and called on Americans to stand firm in their commitment to electing a talented American Idol. "We were proud of Ruben, we were proud of Kelly and Clay," Randall Jackson said, referring to previous winners. "We want to be proud of the American Idol."
Mr. Jackson then issued a stern warning to America, enjoining the nation to unite behind the two remaining divas, or to risk humiliation in the eyes of the world.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for tonight's insurgency. Lending credence to otherwise unsubstantiated reports, Paula Abdul cited a possible alliance between the historically antagonistic supporters of JPL and John Stevens. Ms. Abdul also suggested that "popularity" played a role.
"We can expect a lot more of this kind of thing as we move toward the installment of the third American Idol in May," another official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There are those who are determined to derail the process, to see a shitty singer win."
Melancholy Morning
Occasionally something gives you pause, and you're not sure if it's trite or profound. Like sitting here writing about 19th-century wars while the news from Iraq gets worse by the hour. And thinking how the present seems to magnify and trivialize the importance of the past, both at the same time.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
My Governor can beat up Your Governor
You know, I was somewhat wary of Governor Arnold when my fellow Californians installed him in office, but in some ways, he's starting to grow on me.
Arnold, it seems, wants to create a "Hydrogen Highway," by buiding a bunch of new hydrogen fuel stations to facilitate the use of fuel cell-powered cars. I must admit, I'm impressed, having long been of the (admittedly not-very-informed) opinion that a key next step for fuel cell technology would be the improvement of its practicality for consumers.
I'm also surprised -- I had no idea fuel cell technology was this far along. There are already ten such fuel stations in the state? That's news to me.
Maybe Bush'll have a harder time holding off on the research funding he promised once Arnold comes looking for him...
Also, this is just weird to me -- "Naked Sushi"?!?
P.S. FROM JUSTIN: I know another Austrian-born metrosexual who was fond of auto-transit innovations...
Arnold, it seems, wants to create a "Hydrogen Highway," by buiding a bunch of new hydrogen fuel stations to facilitate the use of fuel cell-powered cars. I must admit, I'm impressed, having long been of the (admittedly not-very-informed) opinion that a key next step for fuel cell technology would be the improvement of its practicality for consumers.
I'm also surprised -- I had no idea fuel cell technology was this far along. There are already ten such fuel stations in the state? That's news to me.
Maybe Bush'll have a harder time holding off on the research funding he promised once Arnold comes looking for him...
Also, this is just weird to me -- "Naked Sushi"?!?
P.S. FROM JUSTIN: I know another Austrian-born metrosexual who was fond of auto-transit innovations...
Monday, April 19, 2004
Stimulation for your Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Here's a fabulous image: political consultants observe a test subject watching political ads screened on the inside of the subjects' goggles, while taking measurements of the subjects' neural responses.
Well, some UCLA research-types tried it, and found that the "active parts [of a Democratic voter's brain]...were different from the parts that had lighted up in earlier tests with Republican brains" in response to certain commercials.
In particular, under certain conditions, the study found an emotional response to the candidate of the subject's own party, and a more rational response to the opposing candidate, as though "[the subjects are] using their rational apparatus to argue against [Bush]."
The article notes at least four times that we shouldn't make too big a deal of this until the research is complete, but where's the fun in that?
Let's speculate: we can reduce voting booth error by hooking folks up to an MRI, playing a bunch of ads, and scanning out who the masses really want. No more voting -- problem solved.
Well, some UCLA research-types tried it, and found that the "active parts [of a Democratic voter's brain]...were different from the parts that had lighted up in earlier tests with Republican brains" in response to certain commercials.
In particular, under certain conditions, the study found an emotional response to the candidate of the subject's own party, and a more rational response to the opposing candidate, as though "[the subjects are] using their rational apparatus to argue against [Bush]."
The article notes at least four times that we shouldn't make too big a deal of this until the research is complete, but where's the fun in that?
Let's speculate: we can reduce voting booth error by hooking folks up to an MRI, playing a bunch of ads, and scanning out who the masses really want. No more voting -- problem solved.
Saturday, April 17, 2004
The White Man's Bourbon
Anyone who's dabbled in Britannia (in any of its literary or historical manifestations) has doubtless encountered the cantankerous statesman, the languorous intellectual, the dandified bon vivant, all laid up, at one point or another, with that apotheosis of Victorian infirmity: The Gout.
Which doubtless triggered the following cascade of raw intelligence: "What the fuck is gout? Is that like, gangrene? And what the fuck is gangrene? Clearly it was either eliminated, renamed, or imaginary. Fucking Victorians. So anyway, the Corn Laws..."
But lo and behold, in today's NYT: LINK BETWEEN GOUT AND ALCOHOL IS VERIFIED. "For the first time," the paper reports, "scientists have documented the age-old belief that alcohol intake strongly increases the risk of developing gout and that the risk is related to the type of alcoholic beverage consumed."
Let's just say it: this sucks. Not only has one's breezy attitude toward Victorian maladies been embarrassed; one must also now contemplate the prospect, down the road, of suffering from painful, hot, red, and swollen joints. Wicked disgusting.
Which doubtless triggered the following cascade of raw intelligence: "What the fuck is gout? Is that like, gangrene? And what the fuck is gangrene? Clearly it was either eliminated, renamed, or imaginary. Fucking Victorians. So anyway, the Corn Laws..."
But lo and behold, in today's NYT: LINK BETWEEN GOUT AND ALCOHOL IS VERIFIED. "For the first time," the paper reports, "scientists have documented the age-old belief that alcohol intake strongly increases the risk of developing gout and that the risk is related to the type of alcoholic beverage consumed."
Let's just say it: this sucks. Not only has one's breezy attitude toward Victorian maladies been embarrassed; one must also now contemplate the prospect, down the road, of suffering from painful, hot, red, and swollen joints. Wicked disgusting.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
American Idol: Just Grateful for the Exposure
Jesus Christ, the girls on the OC are skinny. Anyway, Idol just finished. No real surprises on tonight's Movie Soundtrack show.
Jennifer, Fantasia, and La Toya pulled even farther ahead, while Simon posited a Youth Theory of Sucking, by which Diana, Jasmine, and John Stevens -- you know -- suck. Indominatable George made a lackluster showing in a gray flannel suit, and JPL goofballed his cherubic self to safety once more.
Also, we saw them all half-naked in a bathtub medley. Which was unfortunate, because honestly, nakedness belongs on the OC.
RESULT SHOW UPDATE: Oh bitch! Mormon Down! Mormon Down! (Plus a close call for the Irish Eyesore.) Bare-chestedness did in the white boys.
Jennifer, Fantasia, and La Toya pulled even farther ahead, while Simon posited a Youth Theory of Sucking, by which Diana, Jasmine, and John Stevens -- you know -- suck. Indominatable George made a lackluster showing in a gray flannel suit, and JPL goofballed his cherubic self to safety once more.
Also, we saw them all half-naked in a bathtub medley. Which was unfortunate, because honestly, nakedness belongs on the OC.
RESULT SHOW UPDATE: Oh bitch! Mormon Down! Mormon Down! (Plus a close call for the Irish Eyesore.) Bare-chestedness did in the white boys.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
American Idol: Live from the White House
The Round of 8 was preempted tonight by Bush's press conference. On the swanko new Grammar.Police site, Kriston suspected an administration attempt to divert viewers by going head-to-head with Seacrest and crew, but Fox decided to put on its big-boy pants and carried the news.
I found tonight's performance (as Simon would say) excruciating, mainly because I'm getting into hardcore historian mode -- a mindset that trades in nuance, complexity, facticity, and er, the past. Hubba-Dubya's baldface contempt for these things (which is of course well-documented) tosses me alternately between rage and utter incomprehesion. Also, the pattern on Bush's tie was doing that crazy TV feedback thing.
One new bit of rhetoric did catch my ear, because unlike the other chunks of cliched, evasive, vapid, misleading, or otherwise prefabricated language that W regurgitated tonight, he *really* seemed excited about this one: America, you see, is changing the world.
Mind you, he says this with the kind of awed and enthusiastic self-assuredness that's typically reserved for Bible Belt youth group retreats -- changing your heart and your life and such. This quasi-mystical wash on American power, with its transcendental spin on national self-interest and its assumption of unassailable virtue, got a lot of play tonight.
Clearly, the Bushies are mounting a Mega-Hegelian Antithesis to the 9/11 Thesis: So the terrorists "changed the world," huh? Well, we'll change it the fuck BACK. Maybe they're angling for the academic vote after all.
And speaking of... Historians did pop up toward the end of the conversation, when Bush was invited to self-criticism for the sixtieth time. "John," he said, "I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could've done it better this way or that way."
And, gosh, for a brief shiny moment, everyone agreed.
I found tonight's performance (as Simon would say) excruciating, mainly because I'm getting into hardcore historian mode -- a mindset that trades in nuance, complexity, facticity, and er, the past. Hubba-Dubya's baldface contempt for these things (which is of course well-documented) tosses me alternately between rage and utter incomprehesion. Also, the pattern on Bush's tie was doing that crazy TV feedback thing.
One new bit of rhetoric did catch my ear, because unlike the other chunks of cliched, evasive, vapid, misleading, or otherwise prefabricated language that W regurgitated tonight, he *really* seemed excited about this one: America, you see, is changing the world.
"A secure and free Iraq is an historic opportunity to change the world and make America more secure."
"I fully understand the consequences of what we're doing. We're changing the world, and the world will be better off and America will be more secure as a result of the actions we're taking."
"I also know that there's an historic opportunity here to change the world. And it's very important for the loved ones of our troops to understand that the mission is an important, vital mission for the security of America and for the ability to change the world for the better."
"And a free Iraq is going to be a major blow for terrorism. It'll change the world. A free Iraq in the midst of the Middle East is vital to future peace and security."
Mind you, he says this with the kind of awed and enthusiastic self-assuredness that's typically reserved for Bible Belt youth group retreats -- changing your heart and your life and such. This quasi-mystical wash on American power, with its transcendental spin on national self-interest and its assumption of unassailable virtue, got a lot of play tonight.
Clearly, the Bushies are mounting a Mega-Hegelian Antithesis to the 9/11 Thesis: So the terrorists "changed the world," huh? Well, we'll change it the fuck BACK. Maybe they're angling for the academic vote after all.
And speaking of... Historians did pop up toward the end of the conversation, when Bush was invited to self-criticism for the sixtieth time. "John," he said, "I'm sure historians will look back and say, gosh, he could've done it better this way or that way."
And, gosh, for a brief shiny moment, everyone agreed.
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Happy Easter.
Religion is so awesome.
Friday, April 09, 2004
Take Your Readers to Work Day
The secret to a happy life is to get free shit from your friends. Legal advice, perscription drugs, basketball tickets, whatever. I am really screwing you all on this front, however, because all I can offer is -- Free History! Like this for example.
CHAPTER 26: THE CHALLENGE OF A WORLD TRANSFORMED
"We are on the extreme promontory of ages!" decreed the Italian poet and literary editor F. T. Marinetti in 1909. In a bombastic manifesto -- a self-described "inflammatory declaration" printed on the front page of a Paris newspaper -- Marinetti introduced Europe to an aggressive art movement called Futurism. Revolting against what he considered the tired and impotent conservatism of Italian culture, Marinetti called for a radical renewal of civilization through "courgage, audacity, and revolt." Enamoured with the raw power of modern machinery, with the dynamic bustle of urban life, he trumpeted "a new form of beauty, the beauty of speed." Most notably, Marinetti celebrated the heroic violence of warfare and disparaged the moral and cultural traditions that formed the bedrock of nineteenth-century liberalism.
At the time Marinetti issued his manifesto, five years before the First World War, people across Europe indeed felt themselves to be living in a radically new world. In the years since 1870, a series of explosive developments had unfolded across Europe. A second Industrial Revolution spurred enormous growth in the scope and scale of industry. Mass consumption became a fact of life, as did mass politics. New blocs of voters brought new demands to the political arena, and national governments struggled to maintain order and legitimacy. Socialists mobilized growing numbers of industrial workers, while women's suffragists demanded the franchise. In the arts and sciences, new theories challenged age-old notions of nature, society, truth, and beauty. These changes, however, did not simply ride roughshod over nineteenth-century traditions. Few Europeans embraced the modern era with the unflinching abandon of the Futurists. As we will see, the great dynamism and signifacnce of this period arose from the ambivalent, uneven way that groups, individuals, and govenments responded to the challenge of a changing world.
Copyright 2004: Coffin, Norton, whoever. Lawyers??
"All beautiful and noble qualities have been united in me ... I shall be the fruit which will leave eternal vitality behind even after its decay. How great must be your joy, therefore, to have given birth to me." —Egon Schiele, 1913 (Age 23)
CHAPTER 26: THE CHALLENGE OF A WORLD TRANSFORMED
"We are on the extreme promontory of ages!" decreed the Italian poet and literary editor F. T. Marinetti in 1909. In a bombastic manifesto -- a self-described "inflammatory declaration" printed on the front page of a Paris newspaper -- Marinetti introduced Europe to an aggressive art movement called Futurism. Revolting against what he considered the tired and impotent conservatism of Italian culture, Marinetti called for a radical renewal of civilization through "courgage, audacity, and revolt." Enamoured with the raw power of modern machinery, with the dynamic bustle of urban life, he trumpeted "a new form of beauty, the beauty of speed." Most notably, Marinetti celebrated the heroic violence of warfare and disparaged the moral and cultural traditions that formed the bedrock of nineteenth-century liberalism.
At the time Marinetti issued his manifesto, five years before the First World War, people across Europe indeed felt themselves to be living in a radically new world. In the years since 1870, a series of explosive developments had unfolded across Europe. A second Industrial Revolution spurred enormous growth in the scope and scale of industry. Mass consumption became a fact of life, as did mass politics. New blocs of voters brought new demands to the political arena, and national governments struggled to maintain order and legitimacy. Socialists mobilized growing numbers of industrial workers, while women's suffragists demanded the franchise. In the arts and sciences, new theories challenged age-old notions of nature, society, truth, and beauty. These changes, however, did not simply ride roughshod over nineteenth-century traditions. Few Europeans embraced the modern era with the unflinching abandon of the Futurists. As we will see, the great dynamism and signifacnce of this period arose from the ambivalent, uneven way that groups, individuals, and govenments responded to the challenge of a changing world.
Copyright 2004: Coffin, Norton, whoever. Lawyers??
Something To Write Home About
"All beautiful and noble qualities have been united in me ... I shall be the fruit which will leave eternal vitality behind even after its decay. How great must be your joy, therefore, to have given birth to me." —Egon Schiele, 1913 (Age 23)
"Dark, neutral navy lets you wear funny animals confidently"
I was hoping to take advantage of some end-o'-winter sales on the sort of warm clothing requisite to living the New England lifestyle.
No success on that front; I only turned up evidence that J.Crew has completely lost it.
Now, I sympathize with the effort to make the tedious blue blazer more...anything, but seriously -- if, while wearing a blazer, I were trying to decide between "lobster" and "swordfish" (bottom-left), I'd be looking at a menu, not these pants.
The shorts (see bottom-middle), in turn, are objectionable in and of themselves, but with the jacket -- words fail me.
No success on that front; I only turned up evidence that J.Crew has completely lost it.
Now, I sympathize with the effort to make the tedious blue blazer more...anything, but seriously -- if, while wearing a blazer, I were trying to decide between "lobster" and "swordfish" (bottom-left), I'd be looking at a menu, not these pants.
The shorts (see bottom-middle), in turn, are objectionable in and of themselves, but with the jacket -- words fail me.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Insurgency Idol?
QUESTION: Aside from the obvious effrontery to our eardrums, is it dangerous to vote for JPL? That is, don't you think that American Mormons, buoyed by the success of religious insurgents in Iraq, might attempt to parlay a groundswell of JPL fanaticism into a militant overthrow of the U.S. government? I mean, I know he's cute and all, but, hello?! 3-point beer?!?
UPDATE: Camile bites it, like we like it.
UPDATE: Camile bites it, like we like it.
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
NCAA Tournament Day #10
I didn't actually watch the championship game; I was on a flight from Boston back to San Francisco. UConn, of course, smacked G-Tech around -- much more than the final score would indicate from what I've heard.
Much cooler, however, is the fact that the UConn women's team knocked off Tennessee tonight -- the first time a school's women's and men's teams have swept both basketball titles.
The best story of the tournament, I think, was UAB -- maybe I like their style, maybe I just think Squeaky Johnson is the best basketball name since the ABA-era -- their scrappy schtick impressed me more than any other team I saw. Nothing against UConn (I really just can't help but root for Okafor), but unexpected success from the likes of UAB, Nevada, and Alabama does a lot more for me than the pre-season Number One winning the post-season.
Anyway, this wraps it up; no more basketball (for eleven months or so). Discussion of all other topics, including Boston shenanigans, to follow.
Much cooler, however, is the fact that the UConn women's team knocked off Tennessee tonight -- the first time a school's women's and men's teams have swept both basketball titles.
The best story of the tournament, I think, was UAB -- maybe I like their style, maybe I just think Squeaky Johnson is the best basketball name since the ABA-era -- their scrappy schtick impressed me more than any other team I saw. Nothing against UConn (I really just can't help but root for Okafor), but unexpected success from the likes of UAB, Nevada, and Alabama does a lot more for me than the pre-season Number One winning the post-season.
Anyway, this wraps it up; no more basketball (for eleven months or so). Discussion of all other topics, including Boston shenanigans, to follow.
American Idol: Cult of Mediocrity
The real allure of American Idol isn't the talent. It's not the catty critiques, the schadenfreude, or the absurdist concoctions of the wardrobe stylists. Vicarious joys and disappointments play a part, but they're not the essence of Idol.
After watching yet another underwhelming episode of the Darwinian struggle for Diva-dom, I realized the truth: American Idol is a collective manifestation of America's faith in it's own mediocrity.
Does JPL suck balls? You bet! (Figuratively, anyway.) But is that going to stop millions of us from voting for him? Is being "pitchy" or "average" or even "excruciating" going to thwart the dreams of America's youth?
No it's not.
We of the target demographic were raised in a coddling culture of incessant affirmation. We deserve. We are owed. Our families and friends cheer for us; they make homemade posters with glittery letters and puff paint. They shout down the Simon Cowells of the world, those smug arbiters of bogus meritocracy, who do not know how great we are.
Irrational boosterism is everwhere: parents do it for their children; the government for its policies; advertisers, marketers, and hack-job journalists for anything and everything that has a price tag. But nothing is so pure a rejection of taste, authority, reason, and elitism as the weekly Idol vote.
We love these awkward, screeching, frightened, off-pitch mediocrities. Because they're going to be stars. Because we say so.
After watching yet another underwhelming episode of the Darwinian struggle for Diva-dom, I realized the truth: American Idol is a collective manifestation of America's faith in it's own mediocrity.
Does JPL suck balls? You bet! (Figuratively, anyway.) But is that going to stop millions of us from voting for him? Is being "pitchy" or "average" or even "excruciating" going to thwart the dreams of America's youth?
No it's not.
We of the target demographic were raised in a coddling culture of incessant affirmation. We deserve. We are owed. Our families and friends cheer for us; they make homemade posters with glittery letters and puff paint. They shout down the Simon Cowells of the world, those smug arbiters of bogus meritocracy, who do not know how great we are.
Irrational boosterism is everwhere: parents do it for their children; the government for its policies; advertisers, marketers, and hack-job journalists for anything and everything that has a price tag. But nothing is so pure a rejection of taste, authority, reason, and elitism as the weekly Idol vote.
We love these awkward, screeching, frightened, off-pitch mediocrities. Because they're going to be stars. Because we say so.
Monday, April 05, 2004
Ok, April's Not So Bad Either
The play I "assistant directed" this summer just won three L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards: Best Production, Best Director, and Best Lead Performance. Go figure.
Our jubilant producer, Choppy, and my deuxième mère, Elina.
Our jubilant producer, Choppy, and my deuxième mère, Elina.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Quick: Name the Top Five Protein Chemists...
Her: I'm dating this really cute guy, Justin. And he's sooo smart. He's going to get a Ph.D. in chemistry. And I'm like, what do chemists do, right? But I found out he used to work for a drug company, and so I'm thinking OH MY GOD! What if he cures cancer? I'll get to meet OPRAH! But then later I got to thinking it'd be even better if he cured AIDS, because then I'd get to meet Bono.
NCAA Tournament Day #9
I'm bringing the basketball notes from Boston this week, as I'm up in the New England scene deciding what to do with my life. (Ack!) So far the food (among other things) has made a compelling argument for law school. I jest, but not entirely. More on this, perhaps, in a subsequent post.
But on the ball front: I watched the throws-down from Charlie's Kitchen, a local bar-cum-goth-joint (after a certain hour, I gather) from which I witnessed the defeat of OSU and Duke. Both games were of high quality, as all who witnessed will note. For purely arbitrary reasons (i.e. the wardrobe of a friend from the area) I was sporting the foreign blue livery of duke instead of the orange of OSU for whom I was inclined to root.
More important matters: my new favorite beers come from the Vermont brewery known as Magic Hat. I have discovered these whilst in Boston, even if my first attempt to order one resulted in my being accosted by the bartender for inadvertently ordering an apricot-infused beer, which he deemed insufficiently manly for me. This is utter crap. The apricot beer, I've since decided, is my favorite. It's called "Magic Hat #9" for those with the hookup.
But anyway: UConn overcame early foul trouble from Arch-Financier Okafor to defeat the valiant (I was wearing their garb, recall) Blue Devils. G-Tech, in turn, beat the mighty Cowboys by a Narrow Margin. I maintain my stance that the G-Tech/OSU have been disrespected without cause, and that as the representative from the Duke/UConn game, UConn had better watch their collective back.
I prophecy an upset from the Ramblin' Wreck.
But on the ball front: I watched the throws-down from Charlie's Kitchen, a local bar-cum-goth-joint (after a certain hour, I gather) from which I witnessed the defeat of OSU and Duke. Both games were of high quality, as all who witnessed will note. For purely arbitrary reasons (i.e. the wardrobe of a friend from the area) I was sporting the foreign blue livery of duke instead of the orange of OSU for whom I was inclined to root.
More important matters: my new favorite beers come from the Vermont brewery known as Magic Hat. I have discovered these whilst in Boston, even if my first attempt to order one resulted in my being accosted by the bartender for inadvertently ordering an apricot-infused beer, which he deemed insufficiently manly for me. This is utter crap. The apricot beer, I've since decided, is my favorite. It's called "Magic Hat #9" for those with the hookup.
But anyway: UConn overcame early foul trouble from Arch-Financier Okafor to defeat the valiant (I was wearing their garb, recall) Blue Devils. G-Tech, in turn, beat the mighty Cowboys by a Narrow Margin. I maintain my stance that the G-Tech/OSU have been disrespected without cause, and that as the representative from the Duke/UConn game, UConn had better watch their collective back.
I prophecy an upset from the Ramblin' Wreck.
Notes from the Underground
What Were We Thinking?!
Counterfactuals
