Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Too Bad You Missed Rock and Roll

There's a line like that in Almost Famous. That like sometime around 1973 Rock and Roll ceased being what it was and became something else. I was thinking about that while Mrs. TANBI and I were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past weekend. I put it in my head to try to see if I could identify a moment. For a minute I think it might have been The Wall. I had that thought because in an exhibit, Roger Waters says that The Wall was about rebelling against what they had become and that the transformation had been about once having been a band in a room with an audience and then eventually becoming a band on a stage in a stadium and being something completely different to the fans. That would have been 1979 - in some ways that's too recent.

Then last night I was watching Billie Bob Thorton on Bill Maher and he said essentially the same thing. I believe he said 1974 and framed it like "What act that started after 1974 do you honestly think will be known 100 years from now?" He said he'd give REM and U2, but that was really it in his mind. Apparently the comeback is usually Springsteen or The Police, but that they actually predate the 1974 cutoff.

So I did some searches, not because I couldn't think of anyone but more because I needed to verify the dates; here's 10 acts in no particular order:

  • The Clash
  • The Pretenders
  • Heart
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Prince
  • Madonna
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • Indigo Girls
  • Bon Jovi
  • Nirvana
I believe that those acts have at least the staying power of the majority of the acts from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. It's really difficult to tell right now, as many of those early acts are still charting even though they haven't recorded in decades. Even allowing that groups like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles are truly foundational and that nobody will ever have that kind of impact again it doesn't mean that all of the groups from that era will automatically outshine all the groups since. Even if it did mean that, it would be too soon to say so if for no other reason than that we're too close to the source timewise.

The ten above are from a list of about 30 I came up with before I started to believe that if I tried to put down anything that smelled close to comprehensive that I would inevitably get pinged for leaving acts off. The sites I was looking at were real thin in Rap and Hip Hop and I think some of those acts really have a place in this discussion.

So maybe there will be gourps with real staying power who dropped after 1974. Does that mean there isn't still that difference in... something? When I first started to think about looking for the groups I figured that even if there were acts that made the "staying power" test that there might still be some taint of commercialization in the recent bands that wasn't there before. But I have to say even with Madonna and Bon Jovi it doesn't appear to be an overwhelming triumph of marketing over music (and that's without listing oh, say, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz... Phish maybe).

Maybe it really is more like this: Any band that was playing music before you became an adult is classic, and anything from after is shit. That would kinda work for the character in the movie, and Thorton would have been 18 in (wait for it) 1974.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Shorties

  • 12:47 Back to work! #
  • 14:00 First prekie student meeting. Not too many questions. #
  • 00:04 @giantspatula good thing you don't shoot people for a living #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Worth A Look...

Short week this week. Still some interesting stuff:

It’s a Wrap for 20th Century Props

NYTimes.com: "Mr. Schwartz, the owner of 20th Century Props, plans to go out of business next month and auction the inventory. Battered by the surge in out-of-state movie production and the demise of scripted programming on network television, the once-thriving business — one of a handful of its type remaining — is failing."

Therapist keeps Cirque performers in top condition

timestranscript.com: "Gurie, 29, is health-services supervisor with 'Saltimbanco,' the touring Cirque du Soleil arena show. She was watching a number called Chinese Poles as the company went through its training routine. A few hours later, the acrobats would don outlandish, colorful costumes for the opening performance of a five-day run in Lakeland, Fla."

Michael Jackson patented a gadget to perform dance magic

DVICE: "As we mourn the loss of spectacular dancer, frenetic and staccato singer, and professional weirdo Michael Jackson, the gadget world reminisces about a patent Jackson filed in 1993. Remember that supernatural, gravity-defying 45-degree lean Jackson performed with his troupe of dancers on 'Smooth Criminal'? Jackson used wires and harnesses in the 1988 music video, but that wasn't possible when he performed the trick live in 1992."

US Copyright Law, King Lear, and Jammie Thomas-Rasset

Groklaw: "I was goofing off, looking up some information on Wikipedia on King Lear, and here's what struck me. If the current US Copyright Law had been in effect over Shakespeare, I think he could have been sued by many authors for copyright infringement for writing that masterpiece."

Stop Just Putting Out Fires, Start Really Working

WebWorkerDaily: "It always starts with checking email first thing in the morning. Open, read, react, and an hour later, reply. Open, read, react, and an hour later, reply. On and on it goes, until it’s two o’clock and not one smidgen of paid work has been done, or if it has, it’s been done in a haphazard way, usually at the client’s demand instead of using my own tried-and-true schedule and system. By the end of the day, I’m zapped and feel like a heel for allowing my work to control me, instead of the other way around. There has to be a better way!"

Should I leave L.A. after one year?

Salon Life: "I live in Los Angeles. I've been here almost a year, trying to get into the film industry. It was once my great dream, and now it seems that I've merely moved to a land where everyone is shallow, miserable and hates their career. That or, like me, they are poor, talented and unable to find something with even the hope of moving up in the world."

Stadium Authority questions delays, design of North Shore amphitheater

Post Gazette: "The chairwoman of the city's Stadium Authority board raised concerns yesterday about potential delays in the construction of a $12 million North Shore entertainment complex and the design of the proposed facility."

Cirque Celebrates 25th Anniversary!

Fascination! Newsletter: "Cirque du Soleil cast, crew and staff went to great heights to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people to simultaneously walk on stilts on June 16, the date of its 25th anniversary. To mark this historic milestone, audiences at the Cirque du Soleil shows on June 16 experienced special performances including commemorative gifts for everyone."

There Is No Spoon...

Myths about Canadian healthcare - Boing Boing: "At the end of the day, the average after-tax income of Canadian workers is equal to about 82 percent of their gross pay. In the U.S., that average is 81.9 percent....

...Princeton University health economist Uwe Reinhardt says single-payer systems are not "socialized medicine" but "social insurance" systems because doctors work in the private sector while their pay comes from a public source."

Shorties

  • 10:00 One of our cats is an escape artist #
  • 10:01 We're off on our anniversary excursion #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Shorties

  • 12:49 Wow, that was hard. #
  • 20:04 @bpeoples good for you #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Friday, June 26, 2009

Cap And Trade

The House passed a bill limiting carbon emissions today. I have to admit I am not thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of changing global behavior with respect to carbon, but the whole cap-and-trade dimension gives me the willies. Truthfully I think I would rather see everyone get a new tax to pay and then have the government offer incentives in the form of deductions for people and companies that behave better. Seems less twitchy that way.

Creating a carbon market and letting the market solve the problem gives me the willies. It's a fair concept, divvy up a bunch of credits and then let people working cleanly sell their credits to people working dirty. But it just isn't going to work that way, is it? All of a sudden there will now be "carbon traders" and "carbon brokerages" and people that make their living off of the exchange of carbon credits that have nothing to do with the creation and release of carbon. Isn't that just more drag on the system? People leeching profit off of something that previously didn't support them?

Just the incarnation of the traders is a problem, and that assumes they act ethically - which we know, right now, today, without a possible doubt that they won't. Sure, vast majorities of people involved will do just what they are supposed to, but experience has shown us that it doesn't take too many greedy people to bring the whole system off kilter. Participants in all markets have been found to hoard resources to create artificial shortages to drive up rates. We've already seen it with oil and gas, Enron did a lovely job in that world with natural gas and electricity - they were trying to introduce the process to bandwidth, it's spilled over into corn through ethanol. Why oh why would we create another system through which we allow ourselves to be raped by businessmen.

Folks, it sucks already. Let's not make it worse.

I read that the EU implemented the cap and trade thing and then almost immediately regretted how they initially allocated credits. Plus, here's another chance for us to give away something to business so they can operate - like giving the spectrum to TV to being with. Is this something we should give away, or should all the companies have to buy carbon credits from the start. Or, should they even be allowed to buy the credits, maybe they should lease them.

Why not create x number of carbon credits per township and then give the exclusive rights to set prices and lease the credits to industry to school boards? Two birds with one stone?

If there's one thing I've learned over the last several years it's that as inept and corrupt as government is, it never seems to be nearly as corrupt and greedy as the private sector. Keeping the planet safe should be managed by people doing it for its own sake, not simply to make a profit.

Shorties

  • 11:17 searching for initiative #
  • 11:18 Shaq to Cleveland. Hmm. #
  • 14:52 Almost turned the air on #
  • 18:45 I got a euchre app. My partner just got euchred going alone. Pretty aggressive AI. #
  • 22:26 looks like tonight will be Tivel's last night with us #
  • 23:09 Real World:Cancun? Really? Not really trying anymore are we? #
  • 23:09 @aerdin he... is going to the shelter #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Shorties

  • 13:07 @scoutfinch2271 he's kinda stuck, yes? When they cry they will have to close he can't just say "good" #
  • 18:20 @jgbndaudio I found them. #
  • 18:22 @aerdin it doesn't deliver itself? #
  • 18:23 @bpeoples I don't think I have tin snips #
  • 18:25 @bpeoples we could rename a cat TinSnips. That's kinda cute. #
  • 22:43 @aerdin be a LONG time till I get to use it. #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Shorties

  • 13:45 Anyone been to the Pittsburgh hokkaido? #
  • 17:18 writing to the White House #
  • 21:42 @scoutfinch2271 health insurance #
  • 00:23 @scoutfinch2271 no, kept seeing opposition say "but then we might lose the private plan we like" - I don't think ANYONE "likes" their plan #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Do You Like Your Insurance?

posted to whitehouse.gov:

with regard to a public health insurance option...

I kept hearing on the radio today people saying if there's a public plan we "won't be able to keep the plan we like." Without exploring the truth of whether one would have to leave their coverage, I dispute that there is anyone who actually "likes" the insurance they have.

I'm sure there are people that like their doctor. I am sure there are people who are satisfied with their insurance, or who would say they have good insurance. But I can't believe there is anyone that really likes the private insurance they have.

If there are people that might answer a poll question saying they did like their insurance, I would bet that there really are zero people that would not switch were they able to get lower premiums, better coverage, or simpler usage from a public program (provided the change not diminish the other attributes).

The thought that there is anyone out there who likes the solution they have is a hollow argument.

Shorties

  • 14:08 @jkrall I'm sure that's why they're probably going to charge a hefty premium #
  • 14:10 @bpeoples wow. How things have changed. #
  • 15:06 @aerdin last two times at the AMC Waterfront my popcorn has been stale :-( #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

I Wonder...

... if this will beat Level 6:


It kicked the shit out of level 5.

When I think about how complicated I made my solutions to this level before. What a waste.

Try it yourself, at your own risk: Xeno Tactic

Monday, June 22, 2009

Ellipses...

Maybe Monday should be for Ellipses, and Friday for Worth a Look. Perhaps a stronger structure will lead to more updates, but probably not... If you are at a Wall Street firn that didn't get caught up in this mess, maybe you actually deserve a huge bonus... Golan says Randy said it doesn't matter how well you polish the bottom of the banister. I beg to differ... The new President of NOW is Pro-Life, next the President of the NRA will be pro-gun control... AIM now has push notifications on the iPhone. I bet I will actually be able to see the battery bar moving... Once I spun the wheels on my car and thought I could see the gas gauge moving... A whole lot of people in my neighborhood got pounded by last weeks storms. We were lucky. My thoughts are with those who weren't... Mom's been gone for a little over six months now. Still not real to me... The Mayor of Pittsburgh is talking about raising the parking tax and the commuter tax. I hope that solves a whopper of a problem, because it certainly causes one... I think I've almost nailed down the shape of the automation buy. This process has me thinking of making the process into a Technical Direction 3 assignment... The Supreme Court still feels like much of the country still doesn't have a handle on voting rights. That's pretty sad... Some of the Drama kids want to do a "back to class" countdown. I feel like crits ended yesterday... Alex Debogoski's grandson wants to know how granddad got into TV. So does Alex... We still have too many cats. Let me know if you feel like you have too few... The FDA is going to regulate cigarettes. I wonder if they're actually going to do something... I've been invited to three weddings this summer, all former students. They're all on the same weekend on three consecutive days, one in California, one in Colorado, and the third in Maryland... My wedding anniversary this week. We're going to Cleveland. That is not a comment on the state of the relationship... Today I decided that Giant Eagle Cola is good enough... Gas got expensive again... I don't need an iPhone Zippo lighter app... Been thinking about it a little and I believe Obama may have it wrong...

Shorties

  • 17:05 It is possible I have nothing of value to say today. #
  • 23:50 Mission #6: Level #71. Still can't beat it! bit.ly/2cary #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Worth a Look

This weeks skimming from the Greenpage:

The Flop Theory

99seats: "I've been thinking about what I was talking about here, and I have a question for you all, dear readers: do you know of a theatre, particularly a mid-sized or larger theatre, that was brought down by a flop? Seriously, one theatre in your area that had to close because of a costly failure. Because I really can't."

Is WWU drama professor provocative, or an abusive bully?

Seattle Times Newspaper: "Mills, 67, who has taught for more than 20 years in Western's drama department, says he has no recollection of making some of the statements, or never made them. At one point, in an interview with The Seattle Times, he said the university relied on 'vacuous lickspittles' to make him look bad."

Fashion Designers Realizing New Fashion Copyright Would Cause Serious Harm To Business

Techdirt: "For many, many years, we've pointed out how the fashion industry is an example of a highly creative industry that has thrived without the use of copyright. The industry itself is massively successful, incredibly innovative, and involves plenty of competition. This should be seen as a good thing. Yet, some big name designers, who were annoyed that they had to keep competing by releasing new designs all the time have been lobbying Congress to pass a new law that would institute a special copyright for fashion design."

Bosch Introduces P2+ R2 Combination Bit

Toologics.com: "Here's some pretty cool news: Bosch has created a special bit that works with both Phillips and Robertson (Square-drive) screws, allowing users to handle both screws without having to swap bits constantly. Check out the press release below!"

Building a Sandwich

Technical Direction Tidbits: "Over on the blog at Taylor Studios there is a post comparing building a sandwich to the design process in a commercial environment. Its a concise and fun way to look at the process."

The Great MP3 Bitrate Test - Results - Great mp3 bitrate test

Gizmodo: "Readers who took the test listened to three songs at varying bitrates on their own sound systems, and identified the threshold at which encoding quality stopped mattering to their ears. After statistically evaluating the results, we not only found that there's a bitrate that most of us can live by, we found that there is joy to be gleaned from uncompressed audio, especially if you spent money on your sound system."

New Central Park Shakespeare boss Barry Edelstein on the best way to "speak the speech."

Slate Magazine: "Will she do it as a dirty joke? I'm talking about a certain line in Twelfth Night that can be read either way, innocuous or salacious. And I'm talking about Anne Hathaway, the beautiful Hollywood ingénue most known for squeaky-clean roles (though there was Havoc and the ex-junkie she played in Rachel Getting Married). Anne Hathaway, who, as I'm sure you know and will nevertheless be told incessantly, has the same name as Shakespeare's bride, is doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer."

Prepare For Your Next Task Before You Take a Break

LifeDev: "As I’ve been trying to stick with my convictions on only allowing the absolute-smallest amounts of time to finish tasks, I’ve learned that the more you make of the time before each task, the more efficient you’ll be.
Instead of finishing a task, taking your well deserved break, and coming back to a completely new task, try this: Set up your materials needed for the next task before you go on your break."

Are You Trapped In The Wrong Freelancing Profession?

FreelanceFolder: "People often feel trapped in their nine-to-five corporate jobs, but I’ve known that “trapped” feeling to happen to freelancers too.
Feeling trapped can happen to a freelancer when he or she takes on a freelancing career for the wrong reasons."

Are You Tweeting Away Prospects?

FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog: "Unfortunately, many freelancers, particularly, have seized upon the concept of “social media networking for business” without taking the time to find the appropriate boundaries between “social” and “business.” This is in part because people who do, say, copywriting or website design tend to be “early adopters” of new tools and technology."

Shorties

  • 14:38 Cat came back #
  • 19:54 @douglaspeck the Boevers/Bogarts are the Bestest #
  • 19:55 @mipow yes, Yay! of course now we still have to find someone to adopt him. #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Not My President... Our President

Shorties

  • 13:42 office - got to get 0809 buttoned up already #
  • 13:51 now I am wishing we'd gone to Brickworld: www.flickr.com/photos/nannanz/ #
  • 23:55 Still not raining, but they kept saying its coming, soon I guess #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Friday, June 19, 2009

Ahead of His Time

Strangely enough, this was my science fair topic in 1980(ish). Didn't get a writeup in the Boston Globe though.

Paper vs. computer screen - The Boston Globe: "Do we read differently on the computer screen from how we read on the printed page? It’s an interesting question."
I tested reading comprehension differences from a group that read off a TRS-80 screen and a printed page. Results by the way were inconclusive - sample size was too small.

High Hopes


That tree in our yard that we had to attend to last summer is making a go at undoing the work. I figure in about 40 years you'll hardly be able to tell the difference.

Shorties

  • 15:06 @scoutfinch2271 colorblind maybe? #
  • 15:07 @aerdin that lift was there yesterday, I don't think they fell, think it was planned maintenance - although I could be wrong. #
  • 15:08 @puffskein congrats! #
  • 15:09 two days (and one monsoon) and still no cat. I wonder who I am supposed to call #
  • 15:13 @aerdin Figures are being repainted: "Walking to the Sky To Receive New Steel Pole Design": bit.ly/CTKNH #
  • 20:24 Mad Mex - fish tacos - good call andrea #
  • 22:15 @puffskein can't do much more than wait now really. #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Thursday, June 18, 2009

So Are You Ever Going To Blog Again, Or What?

Yes, things have dropped off some. The "shorties" are piling up and while entertaining just, just aren't the same. So, what the hell happened?

A couple of things.

First off I've really been fighting the tendency for this to become David's emo blog. Mom died, it's been, it still is real hard; and much as I have a lot to say about the subject I just don't think this is the place. My Facebook status updates from January were rough enough. I don't think anyone needs month after month of e-grief. There's also the situation with my Dad and his process and current events; and again, although interesting, and by no means tragic, just aren't tight for here.

Then there's work. There have been two real over-riding work stories this semester, neither of which I can really write about much here. The first is that I got a new boss in January. The transition went about as well as you would think getting a new boss, mid-year, just before the University announced campus wide cutbacks would go. It's been rocky, my personal situation (read above) didn't allow me to handle it all that well either, and none of that makes for appropriate blogging. Although again, it could be interesting to read in some other context.

The other real work story is that among the university cutbacks my new boss has managed to still get hold of some "honeymoon" money. My major non-academic project for the last few months has been working with several other people trying to determine how to spend what we did manage to get. Normally I think I would have written about that a lot, but "under the current financial conditions," it didn't seem appropriate to be talking about how we're going to spend money when even within the same department we were making cuts in other places.

And BSG ended and the season of SCC ended and it was canceled. I could write for hours on end about reruns of The West Wing: "Do you think Toby was right when he told Josh that someone running for President can't be a person who had to be asked to run, that they have to think the universe has conspired to make them President?" But, just seems less than.

There have been other things. I got tenure (although we're holding our breath a little until 7/1). My sister had a baby boy. Kevin & Diane had a baby girl - and they just closed on a new house. It rained a lot yesterday. Some people just down the block appear to have had a flood of sorts, and there's a fleet of electrical trucks down the street. Tivel has been out for two days now and I am afraid that it's gone from "out" to "missing." Brey'Tak got his spring shave. Mrs. TANBI survived a second round of personnel cuts at her job. In the midst of the blogging drought things are as busy as ever. I just haven't managed to get to writing.

I'll see what I can do about that.

Shorties

  • 13:01 forgot my phone - again... #
  • 15:50 Hudson? Fisher? Showmotion? My procurment muscles appear to be stunned #
  • 19:52 Sometimes there's a little more water in that creek: yfrog.com/5heefj #
  • 23:30 Boy did Tivel pick the wrong night to sleep out #
  • 23:38 Why does even the existence of "NYC Prep" bug me? #
  • 00:04 Watching "Time Warp" so weird seeing "O" on TV - been a long time since I worked there. #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Shorties

  • 12:24 hanging out - waiting for the DSL guy #
  • 16:02 Verizon just robo-called me to say they were still working on the problem #
  • 18:59 Hours and hours later he calls to say he's on the way #
  • 21:33 @giantspatula maybe four can be the new zero #
  • 22:01 now I guess we see if it's fixed #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Shorties

  • 20:18 Dinner with family in Oakmont. #
  • 21:42 Twitterific fixed their app #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Monday, June 15, 2009

Shorties

  • 16:44 Moving man David #
  • 23:24 Lakers, swell. Now what? #
  • 23:24 @Mboevers apparently not so swell for graphs and charts #
  • 03:11 Can't sleep #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Shorties

  • 14:56 Arts festival #
  • 14:56 Arts festival #
  • 19:31 So, they kill a broken old man and steal his shit? Nice flick #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Shorties

  • 11:07 @puffskein sure #
  • 16:06 @puffskein might have to go to a bar I guess #
  • 16:07 @scoutfinch2271 which Chicago weather is that? 90 degrees/90% humidity or 4 degrees/20 below wind chill? #
  • 16:11 really just hanging out today until gametime #
  • 22:38 Way to go Pens! #
  • 23:24 ARGH!!! iPhone Twitterific app felled by the Twitpocalypse!!! #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Friday, June 12, 2009

Worth a Look

No comments, no quiz - class isn't in session. But here are some posts from the other page that are definitely worth a look:

What does the director of an animated movie do?

Slate Magazine: "The new Pixar movie Up, about an old man who ties his house to a bunch of helium balloons, hit theaters Friday. Its director, Pete Docter, also directed the animated film Monster's Inc. What does the director of an animated movie do, exactly?"

How Regular Movies Become "IMAX" Films - Imax movies

Gizmodo: "Pretty as it is, 70mm film has been deemed too expensive for shooting Hollywood productions. So this is how IMAX preps finished movies for the up close and personal demands of IMAX."

Casting The Tempest

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Blog: "Hello – Tina here, the director of The Tempest. I’m thrilled that this conversation is being had on our blog – so thank you to all of you who have contributed.
I’d like to respond with a general account of how I cast this play and why, and then by addressing some specific comments."

White actor's refusal to kiss black man turns into a race row in South Africa

The Guardian: "A theatre production designed to promote inter-racial harmony in South Africa has been hit by recriminations over an onstage kiss between a white and a black actor.
Carolyn Forword walked out of a production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin after being directed to kiss fellow cast member Unathi Dyantyi repeatedly on the lips."

Kushner to critics: Please don't review my new play; Critics to Guthrie: Thanks for mishandling this

TwinCities.com: "Playwright Tony Kushner has asked that no national reviewers critique the Minneapolis production of his world-premiere play at the Guthrie Theater — a sign he feels his newest work is not ready for the national spotlight and a potential blemish on the theater's celebration of the Pulitzer Prize-winner."

Make Your Speeches Shine with Acrobat Presentations

MakeUseOf: "I’ll be the first to admit I’m biased on the subject of presentation software. I think PowerPoint is terrible. I hate it, I hate how people use it, and I avoid it at all costs. There are, however, times when I’m required to give a presentation. For a while, I was using Google Docs to create my presentations – it was all well and good, but there had to be a better option out there, right?"

What plagiarism looks like

Orange Crate Art: "Some enterprising readers (faculty? student-journalists?) have gone through the dissertations of Carl Boening and William Meehan, highlighting every passage in Meehan's that can be found, word for word, in Boening's."

Musical Coraline even stranger than the book

Reuters: "Neil Gaiman's acclaimed children's novel makes an uneasy transition to the stage in this off-Broadway musical adaptation featuring music by acclaimed indie rocker Stephen Merritt (Magnetic Fields). Although this version of 'Coraline' is unlikely to have the widespread appeal of the recent hit 3-D animated film, those with a taste for the decidedly offbeat could well turn it into a theatrical cult hit."

$39.5M August Wilson Center opens doors Downtown

Pop City: "The brand-new August Wilson Center for African American Culture hosted a community open house on Saturday to celebrate the building’s near-completion. The Center, at 980 Liberty Ave., will be open with limited access throughout the summer, and its final look will be unveiled at a gala on Sept. 19."

What makes a theme park attraction? A conversation with the creative team at Thinkwell Design

Themepark Insider: "A couple weeks ago, I drove over to Burbank to visit with the brain trust at Thinkwell, an attraction design firm run by several former Universal Creative designers. Thinkwell's the current home of Dave Cobb, who joined us on Theme Park Insider a few weeks back to talk about his work on Universal Orlando's Men in Black Alien Attack. Dave was there for my short trip to Thinkwell, and we were joined by CEO Cliff Warner and Chief Creative Office Craig Hanna."

Shorties

  • 23:11 Finally finished assembling the present my wife got me for the holidays... in 2007. I wanted to build anticipation. #
  • 00:01 @DramaPreCollege what is a twitter ring? #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Thursday, June 11, 2009

There is no Spoon

NPR: New Yorker Health-Care Article A Must Read: "These arguments miss the main issue. When it comes to making care better and cheaper, changing who pays the doctor will make no more difference than changing who pays the electrician. The lesson of the high-quality, low-cost communities is that someone has to be accountable for the totality of care. Otherwise, you get a system that has no brakes."

Ellipses...

Chevy discontinued their hybrid. Nobody was buying it... I don't mind when people sign messages "best"... WDUQ is taking the dollar value of your promo gift and sending that money to NPR National instead. It's a good idea, all the stations ought to do it. Nobody really needs the tote bag... I think just about everyone in Pittsburgh is angsting over game seven... Nobody, really nobody, cares about this former Miss California story... I own a carpet shampooer. I'm pretty sure I don't know how to use it... My sister seems to be having difficulty getting my dad to let go of the baby, but that's probably a good thing... The FDA is going to regulate tobacco? I'll believe it when I see it... I've officially inverted my clock. Better get started turning it back around... H1N1 is officially a pandemic. We can now all go back to panicking... There's been a flier on my desk for a month from a paving company. I wonder if I am ever going to call them for a bid... Gonna put a wager down on the Iranian election? Sounds like it might be interesting... That Chase fraud detection thing they run commercials about - worked for me... It's not "Nationalized Health Care," it's "National Health Insurance"... It's been raining here in Pittsburgh like it's still May... A coworker of Mrs. TANBI's says there's another round of layoffs coming in their office Monday. Cross your fingers for her... Anyone know what to do with the oven I replaced? Sitting in the garage isn't cutting it... There really are still people not ready for the digital TV switchover. We really shouldn't think this is a problem - unless they are Penguins fans... When the righties accuse Obama of being socialist, do they ever manage how exactly they would have handled these problems? I seem to recall some of these solutions actually started with the prior administration... I wonder if my Best Man can upgrade me to a 3Gs... Why didn't they put that tarp on the stack before they left Dutch? Just wondering... One episode into Nurse Betty and Royal Pains the jury is still out - Top Chef: Masters was a no brainer... Still looking for a home for a few cats. Speak up if you'd like one...

Shorties

  • 14:48 @jgbndaudio thats more like it #
  • 14:48 at the office, not 100% sure why #
  • 22:15 Top Chef is BACK! #
  • 23:24 thinking of having people over for game seven on the big screen #
  • 01:18 Are you watching "Operation Iraqi Stephen?" You ought to. #
  • 01:19 @puffskein it's gonna happen whether you watch or not #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Shorties

  • 10:21 Running errands #
  • 10:27 Long line of iPhone fanboys at the AT&T store #
  • 10:42 Why does it take two billing cycles for a discount on AT&T to "kick in"? #
  • 11:48 @jgbndaudio say it isn't so #
  • 16:48 Weather can't seem to make up its mind beyond "sticky" #
  • 22:43 And they refuse to die - game seven #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Wonder What the FCE's Look Like...

Nation & World | Is WWU drama professor provocative, or an abusive bully? | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Over the years, Western Washington University professor Perry Mills has referred to an overweight student as a '400-pound canary who warbles nothingness'; slapped the nickname 'Precious' on a male colleague he believed to be gay; and called a female colleague a 'bimbo' and 'slut' to her face."

Shorties

  • 10:29 Pointless morning trip, check. #
  • 14:33 RT alums in the Tonys last night for roles in Hair, West Side Story, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, 9 to 5, Rock of Ages! (via @CarnegieMellCFA) #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Monday, June 08, 2009

Ok, I Give?

Why on Earth would NBC do that?

For the last couple of Penguins games the telecast has been on the Versus Network. Popular wisdom has been that their coverage has been well... meh, but they have done something that has gone over very well here in town. They had allowed the Penguins and the Arena to use the telecast on a giant screen in the parking lot. I happened to be downtown (dahntahn) one night this was going on and the local response was great. From the shots on television there appeared to be quite a number of people that could not get tickets to the game but still wanted to come down and be part of the action.

Overall very cool.

Apparently NBC deosn't think so. They have the next game - critical game six, with the cup on the line and they have decided they won't be allowing the use of the telecast in that way.

So my question is: Why on Earth would they do that?

Are they worried about their local ratings in Pittsburgh? Do they have to pay their on-air talent more for the additional airing? It can't be that advertisers are complaining. Seems like the people that go will watch whether they are at home on their sets or at the arena on theirs.

They've got maybe 20 hours to change their minds. I sure hope they do. This was something positive for the NHL and for Pittsburgh. Be a shame to shut it down, whatever the reason.

Shorties

  • 14:33 campus security just pegged me as a thief - nice to know they're watching, and that expectations are that I wouldn't be working on a Sunday #
  • 23:25 Strong finish - to the Tony Awards, not so much for the NBA Finals... and they say Football is a game of inches #
  • 23:26 @jhuntington wasn't their best night #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Ah, The Forgotten Trials of my Youth

Shorties

  • 14:05 Game five tonight - exciting! #
  • 18:15 Garage. Check. #
  • 18:36 @giantspatula not dear, that's "dulled" #
  • 23:14 @puffskein was kind of a bummer #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Saturday, June 06, 2009

No Cat? Want One?

Would you like this cat?


This was my Mom's cat, Tivel. We brought him to Pittsburgh after she passed away. Figured we wouldn't notice one more cat. As it happens, Tivel was an only child in Chicago and really isn't making the adjustment to a larger family. Also, he very much wants to be an outside cat and the rest of the pride are indoor cats - and mixing isn't the best idea.

He's in good health, fixed, and has all his shots up to date (and is front declawed).

So if you'd like a cat, give me a shout. Otherwise Tivel might have to go to the shelter...

Shorties

  • 15:04 Propmaster meeting #
  • 18:47 Dinner - waterfront. #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Friday, June 05, 2009

Shorties

  • 10:51 In Pittsburgh? Come see interactive sound installations at CMU Miller Gallery, today thru Saturday. Free/open! (via @golan) #
  • 10:51 @bobmoz an empty inbox is a happy inbox #
  • 10:52 Dishwasher repair day #
  • 12:23 next up? kittens to the v-e-t #
  • 00:09 Nice job Pens! #
  • 00:18 @jkrall bit.ly/3OFxwB #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Just Type Something Already!

How hard could it be?

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Shorties

  • 12:30 @PunkyPicc sew? wut izit? #
  • 12:31 @drama_mama dunno - its a chemers project. I think its a performance art piece #
  • 12:32 @scoutfinch2271 would you like more cats? I have a surplus #
  • 12:35 Putting together an institutional shopping list #
  • 14:14 MMX meeting #
  • 16:19 automation systems meeting #
  • 22:56 @readysetgrego you want a cat? You can name them! #
  • 00:48 bored #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Shorties

  • 11:17 Propmaster interview #
  • 15:39 bidding the first show #
  • 17:42 Chemers needs a real, dead goat for a play. Anyone got a source? #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Shorties

  • 20:19 The Work of Art Awards #
  • 00:10 Obama tripled Joe Turner's Sunday take. tinyurl.com/ll8jmh. JT got its own personal stimulus (via @kendavenport) #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Monday, June 01, 2009

Shorties

  • 19:39 David is totally dissappointed - maybe even pissed - at his Magellan GPS #
  • 19:40 @aerdin and so it begins #
Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter