Archive for the ‘General’ Category.
I went to the SRL Show, “GHOSTLY SCENES of INFERNAL DESECRATION” last night. Photos will be forthcoming. I think I only took short video clips…. photos just didn’t do it justice at all. The deafening sounds (literally… my earplugs weren’t NEARLY enough), blasts of heat and soot and smoke…
It was weird, awsome, frightening… avante garde technological pornography
“Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”
Survival Research Laboratories was conceived of and founded by Mark Pauline in November 1978. Since its inception SRL has operated as an organization of creative technicians dedicated to re-directing the techniques, tools, and tenets of industry, science, and the military away from their typical manifestations in practicality, product or warfare. Since 1979, SRL has staged over 45 mechanized presentations in the United States and Europe. Each performance consists of a unique set of ritualized interactions between machines, robots, and special effects devices, employed in developing themes of socio-political satire. Humans are present only as audience or operators.
I’ve been promising I’d show you photos of what I’ve been working on. Here’s a video that shows it off just a bit. This shows off only about 1/7th of the full length of what the sculpture will look like at Burning Man… but it gives you an idea.
Click on “Serpent Mother” in the middle of the screen
http://www.madnomad.net/menu/index.php?iframe=film
(His other videos are pretty cool too)
I just spent 1/4 of a day diagnosing a problem that got totally wiped out because, as it turns out, Firefox and IE display XML differently.
In IE, rocketboom’s XML looks like this:
<title>rb_06_aug_04</title>
– <description>
– <
keep getting this catalog that the previous tenant of my apartment got…. Design Within Reach. They are selling this image that… well… fancy furniture designs is within reach of… well, I’m not sure.
Case in point:
The latest catalog has on its outside back cover the “Multipot Personal Electric Charger“.
Designed in the shape of a translucent bucket, the compact MultiPot solves the problem of messy recharging devices by socking away the electric cords in one easy-to-find and attractive spot. A 5-way multisocket is hidden in the lid where you store your gear, while the deeper base holds the tangle of unsightly cords.
So…. it’s a flower pot with a power-plug lid. Neat. I might pay $40 for th…. $228?!?! It costs $228?!?!?!?!? It’s a flower pot with a power-plug lid! You have got to be freaking kidding me!
Am I in the wrong business?
In other news, check out the $700 cardboard desk.
This stuff reminds me of (good and free-ish though not as pretty) Playatech furniture.
3 out of 10
“All special effects, take out the special.”
Thin story. Poor continuity. Poor plot. Cardboard characters. Pretty, if overused iconography of Super floating in space and close-ups of the suit. If you saw the original Superman and the trailer for Superman Returns, then you’ve seen 90% of the movie.
Here, let me fix that: Lex steals Super’s Fortress of Solitude crystals and tries to build a continent off the coast of New Jersey. Super stops him. Lois and Super had a baby who would have powers if the writers would only remember he’s not a cardboard cutout.
There, that’s about 99%. If you think the last 1% is worth 3 hrs and $10, then by all means, go for it.
If you had the misfortune of seeing it, them let me commiserate with you:
What the frig was it with the giant globe on top of the Daily Planet Building? I think that maybe they paid so much for the set that they felt like they had to get their money’s worth. The frigging ball gets more screen time than Jimmy Olsen! Seriously.
Lois and Super had sex once and had a boy (reminds me of the Protestants in Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”). The kid is immune to Kryptonite and has powers but the writers keep forgetting to have him use them… either that or Lois is a frigging idiot. (notice the prolific use of the prefix “frig-” in my review. It was well deserved). At the end, everything is left up in the air. Lex is stranded on an island, his st00pid evil plan thwarted. Super and Lois might start dating, or Lois might date both Super and Dick (maybe Dick is bi. That’d be progressive). The kid’s powers are completely ignored (unless killing a bad guy by throwing a piano at him is one of those freak things that normal 6 year olds sometimes do). Super’s Fortress of Solitude crystals might be lost… or not. All this in 2hrs and 37 droll minutes.
The special effects are pretty good. I think maybe I would have enjoyed watching it better had it been in German.
Kevin Spacey would have been a great Lex Luthor, if they hadn’t given him shit to work with.
Oh and I saw it in IMAX. That was kinda cool.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
– Han Solo, outspoken skeptic of the Force
600 Peeps: check
5 mini blow torches: check
144 skewers: check
Inflatable Peep mascot: check
Sanity: n/a
Update 10-3-06:
Success!
I wrote my first letter to Google with a suggestion. It’s interesting to note that this is the first time I can recall a change to the Google system being what I consider a step backward. Not a bad track record
To: Suggestions@google.com
Subject: recent changes to GMaps Directions printing is bad
I very much dislike the new way that GMaps Directions print out. The new Google Map printing system was installed in the last few days before July 25th, 2006
It is very important to me that I see the entire local area of my destination. With the new system, I can’t see it.
It’s important because:
– GMaps are occationally hard to follow in the final few turns of a map
– I want to see cross streets so I know when I am close
– I want to see the local area so the map is useful if someone asks me to “go around the corner” from my stated destination.
Please put the ability to have large maps back into the printing feature of Google Maps.
Thank you,
Lee Sonko
http://lee.org
