May 2006 Archives (29 posts)
Please do not ever mention George Bush
Economist.com publishes some letters from its readers. A letter from letter Steve Pettit in California seems to be getting a lot of attention lately.
Please do not ever mention George Bush. And Winston Churchill in the same sentence again, even if you must break all the rules of grammar to do so.
Steve Pettit
California
More letters and feedback can be read here.
Posted in News at 4:33 PM | Comments (0)
Like a kid in a candy store
I’m feeling like a kid who just spent the morning in a candy store.
Today I boosted my ‘88 Mustang GT and took it to Da Silva Racing for a check up. It’s probably going to need a little surgery before it’s ripping up the asphalt again but I don’t care. I’m just happy to hear the growl of the 5.0 and watch people run for the curb when I drive down the street.
Da Silva Racing is booked solid with guys adding headers, superchargers and other modifications to their Mustangs. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a garage where there are nothing but Mustangs and grown men comparing their horsepower (I might have to turn the comments off for this post).
In December I plan to restore my ‘88 Cobra—body work, paint job, B303 camshaft and maybe a few other goodies. For now I just want to get it back on the road and drive it as much as possible. It’s been over a year since I took it for a spin and I forgot how much I missed driving it.
Posted in Personal at 3:13 PM | Comments (3)
Canon considers halt to film camera development
Reuters is reporting that Canon Inc. might stop making film-based cameras. Nikon recently announced that it wasn’t going to make film camera’s any more except for a few high-end models.
This news probably has a lot of ‘purist photographers’ worried and hoarding film stock. I’ve read enough comments from professional photographers who’ve embraced digital SLRs. Digital photography is already great and is only going to get better down the road.
Posted in Photography at 11:44 AM | Comments (1)
Frogger
Neave Games developed an ‘unofficial clone’ of the original Frogger video game made by Konami Co, in 1981. If you’re at work, don’t forget to press the ‘M’ key to mute the sound (unless of course, you’re the boss). Play.
Posted in Web at 11:33 AM | Comments (1)
Top Ten Stock Photography Cliches
Forty Media has an amusing list of Top Ten Stock Photography Cliches. I’m guilty of allowing some clients to use a few cliche photos in the past.
Posted in Design and Photography at 9:32 AM | Comments (1)
Unbreakable wine glass
For the clumsy, sloppy drunk that likes to wave their wine glass around, or the gadget hound that has to have the latest and greatest, there is a new unbreakable wine glass on the market. It is made of a material called Kwarx. Mikasa is going to use Kwarx in its new ‘Open Up’ brand of glasses.
Interesting side note—Mikasa was invented by Japanese Americans interned in California during WW II. Now the company is owned by ARC International which makes the glass in northern France.
Posted in Food at 9:12 AM | Comments (1)
Deal of the decade
I just received a copy of Final Cut Studio for $199.00 (USD)! The retail price is $1499.00 (CDN).
My father recently bought a copy of Apple’s Soundtrack Pro from the UK via eBay (approx $250 CDN). You can’t purchase Soundtrack Pro on its own anymore (at least in North America). The only way to get a copy is to pay $1499.00 and get Final Cut Studio which includes Soundtrack Pro.
Apple has a great upgrade policy for all of those people that are stuck with an older version of Soundtrack Pro and want an upgrade. For $199.00 (USD) you can get the full version of Final Cut Studio that includes:
• Final Cut Pro
• Soundtrack Pro
• Motion
• DVD Studio Pro
• Compressor
You also get a couple of training CDs and the manual is on disc. That’s 7 CDs, 5 great apps, all for $199.00. Today it feels like Christmas morning at JAK MEDIA. Thanks dad!
Posted in Apple at 4:55 PM | Comments (0)
Nike and Apple partner
Wow. How cool is this? Apple and Nike have partnered to bring you the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. For those of you that run with your iPod you can now use it to track your progress in real time.
The NIKE+ website has a great video that explains how your new pair of Nike shoes can talk to your iPod and provide you with detailed info of your run. This whole concept is genius and will probably boost Apple’s marketshare/brand even more.
Just for fun, here is a link to another type of Apple running shoe.
Posted in Apple at 2:59 PM | Comments (0)
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005)
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) is a terrible remake starring Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni. Jim Carrey is also a producer on this film.
It’s a good thing that I also rented An Unfinished Life (2005) for the guests we had over on Friday. Fun with Dick and Jane is the worst movie I’ve seen this year so far. There are a few funny moments but it was painful waiting for them.
Unfortunately, director Dean Parisot didn’t learn his lesson. He’s signed on to do a remake of The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). Is this guy desperate or what?
Posted in Movie Reviews at 12:05 PM | Comments (2)
80s music videos
YouTube has 80s music videos. Lots of them.
A website called Milinkito has a huge list of links to these videos. Bored? Take a break and check out some videos you probably haven’t seen in 20 years.
Posted in Music and Web at 10:38 AM | Comments (1)
Bunch of Yahoo’s
Yahoo released a beta of their new homepage, but if you use Mac OS X and the Safari web browser you’re out of luck. Yahoo says they only support Internet Explorer 6 and Firefox 1.5 for this beta. Unbelievable.
This is a huge step backward for web development. I thought we were seeing the last of these homepage messages from lazy web developers. I thought the entire industry was moving toward standards-compliant websites.
I guess Yahoo is ready to dump most of the Macintosh community into the Google camp. More info at MacDailyNews.
Posted in Web Development at 3:45 PM | Comments (1)
2006 Photobloggies
If you want to see some great photography from around the world then check out the finalists for 2006 Photobloggies. Winners will be announced next Monday.
Posted in Photography at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)
Overheard at Starbucks
An older man and woman (probably in their 50s) were talking about a friend of theirs that just passed away. He was only 55.
She said to her friend, “55 was too young to die but he had a good life. It’s not the destination that matters but the journey along the way.”
Huh? I guess that is how some people deal with death—ignore it. Don’t live your life thinking that there is a destination, make the best of what you have right now. Enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Forget about what happens to you after you die. Don’t waste your time worrying or trying to figure that one out.
If that is what I believed then I would probably have about 20 wives. I would lie, cheat, and figure out the best way to make billions of dollars so that I could do whatever I want.
My name would probably be Conrad Black or Ken Lay. Maybe I would be a fat cabinet minister enjoying fine wine and steak dinners at the expense of the taxpayer.
Am I missing something?
Posted in Observations at 3:35 PM | Comments (10)
Let’s impeach the President
Aging Canadian rocker, Neil Young, lives in America the beautiful but he’s not very happy there these days. It seems as though Dubya’s bumbling has upset Neil a little bit.
How do I know all of this? Just a guess after listening to his latest song, Let’s impeach the President.
Let’s impeach the President for lyin’
And misleading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
Who’s the man who hired all the criminals?
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
They bend the facts to fit with their new story
Of why we had to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the President for spyin’
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
Tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al-Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Flip…Flop
Let’s impeach the President for hijacking
Our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank God he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lots of people looking at big trouble
But of course our President is clean
Thank God
Posted in Music at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)
10 Things You Might Not Know About Google
10 Things You Might Not Know About Google is pretty interesting read if you’re a web developer. I had no idea that Google has over 16 official blogs.
Inside Google Sitemaps is one blog you might want to investigate to increase your Google page ranking.
Does anyone use Yahoo or MSN Search?
Posted in Web Development at 10:47 PM | Comments (3)
POPURLS.COM
Want to know the latest buzz on the web without sifting through digg.com, del.icio.us or furl.net?
Posted in Web at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)
Evolution of Dance
Judson Laipply, an inspirational comedian (whatever that means) performs the Evolution of Dance.
Pretty incredible.
Posted in Humour at 4:48 PM | Comments (0)
2,083 kilomtres
2,083 km of driving from Toronto to Gaithersburg, Maryland and back — a lot of scenic routes made for some interesting pictures like this. The driving was a breeze, until I got back to Toronto, and remembered what I hate most about this city of 5.3 million people. The bloody traffic!
It took me over an hour to get from Oakville to Toronto at 6 PM last night. Everyone is supposed to be leaving the city after work, not going back into it. There is something to be said for small towns in the country.
Posted in Travel at 4:25 PM | Comments (8)
Best love dr@gs at best st0re!
Here is a piece of spam that made it past my spam filter today. There should be a bill passed that says all spam must be spell-checked and have at least a grade 5 reading level. This message fails on both accounts but it gets an A+ for creativity.
The first Dolphin batter popped up to the second baseman. The second batter struck out on three straight swings. The dozen or so spectators shouted encouragement to their team.
Your g1rl is unsatisfieed with your p0tency?
Don’t wait until she finds an0ther men!
=CLICK_HERRE= <http://wqwqkm.grayflight.info/?18810410>
She wondered what Castenago looked like, and she found out, to a slight degree, when she bought some postage stamps at the hotel desk.
Posted in Web at 3:11 PM | Comments (1)
Goin’ to Gaithersburg
I’m heading down to Gaithersburg, MD for a family wedding. Gaithersburg is just north of Washington, DC. I plan to take my sweet time and hopefully get some interesting photos along the way.
If anything it will be a relaxing break from the daily grind.
Posted in Travel at 12:12 AM | Comments (1)
Runner’s High (2006)
Director Justine Jacob followed a few high school students from Oakland, California as they trained for the Los Angeles Marathon. I was amazed that some of the students stuck with the program — Students Run Oakland.
The training is hard and requires a great deal of discipline and focus. Most of the teenagers I know would rather skip practice, play on their XBox or hang out at the mall.
The film is very inspiring and well-directed. The camera work is incrediblly smooth. You feel like you’re gliding along with these kids as they run. The editing is also very effective, especially during the actual marathon.
As a viewer you experience the highs and lows of the race. The excitement at the starting line is incredible. Thousands of participants begin the race trying to pace themselves but near the end of the marathon, people are walking, limping, struggling to reach the end.
Some of these kids suffer injuries along the way and you’re not sure if they are going to make it. As an audience member you want them to finish the race. All of a sudden you’re there on the sidewalk with them, hoping that they can find the strength and courage to continue.
When one of the kids named Fred (pictured), reaches the last mile and runs across the finish line I found myself overcome with emotion, happy and relieved that he finished the race. Completing the race is a huge accomplishment for these kids and made for a great documentary film.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 10:12 AM | Comments (2)
Aperture not dead yet
Yesterday Apple responded to the rumours about the major problems with its photography application, Aperture. Apple claims that the rumours are completely false, that even more people are working on Aperture and that a new update has just been released.
For now, I’m happy using Bridge in Adobe Photoshop CS2 to manage my photos.
Posted in OS X Software at 1:56 AM | Comments (0)
Original theatrical version of Star Wars coming soon
The Digital Bits is reporting that the original theatrical version of Star Wars is going to be released on DVD later this year. This is the version that George Lucas said didn’t exist, the version where Han Solo shoots first, the version you saw in the theatre as a kid (provided you’re over the age of 35).
I won’t be purchasing it but I know a few Star Wars fans that will. George Lucas must be running short on cash again. Look for a couple of HD versions in the next couple of years and probably some special, special, special editions after that.
Posted in Movies at 5:12 PM | Comments (5)
The Beach Boys (2006)
Hot Docs continues and today I saw The Beach Boys (2006). It was appallingly bad.
I’m seriously beginning to question some of the programming choices for this year’s festival. The Hot Docs person that introduced the film was gushing about ‘how wonderful’ the film is. What can you say when the director and the producer are standing beside you?
I can’t believe that this documentary film made it into the festival. If anyone can find anything really interesting or great to say about this doc I’d love to hear it.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 6:35 PM | Comments (0)
Apple slaps Microsoft
Apple isn’t holding any punches with its latest ad campaign. It unveiled a series of TV commercials that pokes fun at Microsoft’s security vulnerabilities.
The Apple website also has a new Get a Mac page with several reasons why you might want to purchase a Macintosh. Next Year’s OS Today takes a serious jab at Microsoft’s not so innovative features in their upcoming operating system. Ouch!
Posted in Apple at 12:42 AM | Comments (1)
Glenn Gould Hereafter (2006)
I thought I would try and see something ‘cultured’ and made the mistake of adding director Bruno Monsaingeon’s Glenn Gould Hereafter to my list of picks. My ticket wasn’t as expensive as say, a ticket to see Hair but I missed an episode of The Soprano’s.
I struggled to stay awake in the Elizabeth Bader theatre last night. The projectionist took the night off again and I endured two hours of blurry film and ghosted titles.
I don’t know if it was the audio system or the film soundtrack but I haven’t heard so much snap, crackle and pop since my last bowl of Rice Krispies. I suspect that some of the audio was in terrible need of restoration.
This retrospective film was informative but not the least bit entertaining. The scary thing is that Monsaingeon has made several films about Gould.
Pass on this one.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 4:34 PM | Comments (0)
Heavy Metal Jr. (2005)
From Stirling, Scotland comes a different kind of heavy metal band called Hatred. Heavy Metal Jr. (2005) is a hilarious look at this band by director Chris Waitt. The whole film is like one big gag.
The lead singer’s father is the band manager. He’s also a voice coach and loves to give the boys a few quick tips now and again (this guys was Tom Jones in another life). The band’s name gets misspelled as Hatrid in another scene.
Some clever editing has some senior citizens frowning and looking grumpy as the band performs a few numbers at a county fair. Funny film.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 4:18 PM | Comments (7)
What Remains (2005)
If you’re a photographer or have an interest in photography then you will enjoy this film. Director Steven Cantor examines the creative process, passions and art of photographer Sally Mann as she prepares a body of work around the themes of death and decay.
Sally Mann’s images of decaying bodies are shocking and some would say disgusting. I think she manages to transform these photos into art that makes you question death and your own mortality. What Remains (2005) is one of the better films I’ve seen so far at this festival.
It’s a shame that the projectionists at many of these Hot Docs venues do such a terrible job at presenting the films. What Remains was beautifully shot in high-definition but the quality of the print that I saw (Isabel Bader theatre) was terrible.
There was a severe ghosting problem that I thought might be a special effect. After watching a second film at Isabel Bader I realized that the Christie HD projector they are using is just poorly calibrated. The image was also blurry and could have used some keystone correction.
If I can get better image quality from a consumer HD projector in my home then why can’t the projectionists at any of the Hot Docs venues get it right? I find it embarrassing when you have a director there from LA or Paris and their film is presented so poorly.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 3:36 PM | Comments (1)
Walking to Werner (2005)
Hot Docs film festival has begun in Toronto. Walking to Werner was my first film on Friday night. Director Linas Phillips was on hand to introduce the film and do a Q&A afterwards. Here is a description of the film from the Hot Docs website:
Werner Herzog has often said that one of the few important things to do in life is to walk on foot. Filmmaker Linas Phillips takes it upon himself to experience a journey on foot from Seattle to Los Angeles, where he hopes to meet with the man who inspired him to make movies himself, Werner Herzog.
Linas meets a lot of strange people on his walk to LA which makes the film interesting and funny. It’s very similar to an Errol Morris type of film with a bizarre cast of characters.
Did I mention that Linas is also a little strange? Twice in the film, he is mistaken for a woman because of his long blond hair. At one point, he freaks out and starts screaming at the transport trucks that blow him off the road. Great stuff.
There are a couple of problems with the editing but I admire Linas Phillips for living out his dream and making his first documentary film—something I still hope to do one day.
Visit Linas Films for more information.
Posted in Movie Reviews at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)
