Please be warned and take into account: I am a nerd.
Why is this good comedy? Well for one thing, it improves on the usual suspense-building reverse countdown, ala David Letterman’s top ten lists. This list counts up, starting with #1, the very best answer of all, because why wait for the good stuff? A refreshing approach.
And it doesn’t just go to 11, this list hits a full 70 places. On TV you’d never get beyond 10, given attention spans, on the net we are free to scroll and scroll as long as the joke can keep its laugh on.
Okay, honestly, I love this, but unless you are both a geek AND moreover tending toward geeky nostalgia, it’s 2001 vintage tech-humor might not float your boat.
See, some of it is dated now, you don’t get many FORTH jokes these days; but I think it still comes off pretty well if yr geeky enough to be inclined to this stuff.
Pigdog Journal has been around for 10 years now, but is fairly inactive at the moment. As noted elsewhere, Pigdog’s many authors included Paul Addis aka CyberSatan an old friend of mine who has recently become infamous.
This piece was co-authored by “Mr. Bad” who wrote these lists for a few years on Pigdog (this one is by far the funniest example I’ve read).
Toneshared is a repository of short audio clips suitable for your cellphone, made available for free by an impressive lineup of electronic music composers.
For something extreme, check out noise artist Francisco Lopez’s Broad Band Grindcore for the loudest ring-tone you’ve ever heard. Vancouver ambient artist Loscil’s tracks are gorgeous 20-second samples of his work (he has a full free album here).
Notable exceptions to the electronica norm are Experimental Dental School (ex-Bay Area, now Portland) who do their signature carnival robot rock and Califone (of Chicago/LA, my certified favorite-band-in-the-world: a dust & pixel hybrid like the boots made from the Blade Runner rattlesnake) offering up a moody tonal piece.
The clips range from 2 seconds to a little over a minute. So they also function as a short sampler introduction to a pretty interesting stable of artists. It should be noted these are all mp3s with no DRM and all are completely free to download.
The site seems to be a project of a Polish record label and Polish music festival (audiotong and Unsound respectively). It’s a fun browse and maybe a good excuse to finally give everyone in your phone book their own individual tune.
From May to October this fantastic series shows films in 3 parks all around San Francisco (and in several other cities around the Bay Area). After Saturday’s show, there are three SF showings in 2008: Il Postino, O Brother Where Art Thou and Vertigo in Washington Square, Dolores and Union Square parks respectively.
There’s something extra special about seeing a great movie in a location that is featured in classic films, and Union Square appears not only in Vertigo but also features prominently in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation. The series is produced by a great organization called The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, who also support the city’s historic theaters, with support from Macy’s and other sponsors.
And this series is only one of many this summer that offer San Franciscans an alternative to the run-of-the-mill Hollywood blockbusters. Scott posted about last month’s Brainwash Festival and there are several other independent-minded film fests that offer options on SF’s chilly summer nights, so here’s a quick round up, starting with a couple other outdoor options.
The Zeitgeist bar’s beer garden is home to “ZIFF” The Zeigeist International Film Festival now in its 10th year. The final showing of this festival of short films is on the night of Monday, August 11th. It features 15 films from all over the US and places as far-flung as Finland and Australia. Running times range from 2-12 minutes. 25 beers are on tap. You do the math.
Treading similar ground to the Zeitgeist, SF Shorts runs this week only August 6th to 9th at two historic SF movie theaters: The Victoria Theatre and The Red Vic and kicks off with an opening night party. Films featured are all under 30 minutes long.
Finally, a Fest of a different feather is the Lebowski Fest which features only one movie–the Coen Brothers classic film about bowling and white russians The Big Lebowski. This celebration has occured at various times in various cities since 2002, but early September will mark the first time it happens in San Francisco. And LFSF looks to be a blast! It features Extra Action Marching Band, The Dead Hensons & Meshugga Beach Party. Followed by, of course, a screening of the The Big Lebowski itself.
Tonight I encountered the above banner ad (I split the animation into 2 images). And yes, although the guy above looks like he’s out of the 1970’s this is a current ad.
But wait “Teen Brain Guide”? That seemed kinda odd. So I clicked through. And it only got weirder.
The site is by Partnership for a Drug-Free America which I had at least heard of before. So I hoped it would start to make more sense. No such luck.
It’s really an odd site, confusing as to even what the point is. It talks about some odd ways your kid may be behaving but then seem to say these may NOT indicate your child is on drugs.
The site claims to have “the science in a nutshell” that explains all of this wacky mysterious behavior. Awesome!! Cuz it was getting confusing.
But if you want said nut-encased info, the link they offer you leads to a registration form:
Hey now! That’s a tactic that porn sites (so I hear) or other folks trying to sell something or get my personal information use. It’s weird to bump into on a site that’s supposed to be providing a vital public health service. Why won’t they just tell me? Isn’t it in everybody’s interest for parents to better understand their kids? What gives?
And there’s the video, shown on the right above, of a doctor talking to parents and children about drugs. This also hints at science without ever actually offering up any. And when the medical professional appears in front of an issue of Teen Brain Times… it kinda undercuts the credibility. I half expect the credit to read Dr. Troy McClure, University of Springfield.
Oh, and I forgot to note that the form is accompanied by an option to receive the latest information and new parenting tools from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Which is checked by default, so you’d be opted-in to the PDFA tool-of-the-month club.
Weird? Is it just me?
They use a relatively interesting art style (kinda like old Mad Magazine meets Maurice Sendak with a little Rug Rats thrown in), so that at least comes off well.
But wasn’t there supposed to be some brain science here somewhere? I guess if I registered they’d fulfill the promise to help me: Gain insights into teen brain development and apply your new knowledge of normal teenage behavior to real life. Sweet. What’s “real life”?
And what does this have to do with Mr Tinted-shades in the banner ad and how a job in computing makes you a grownup??!! I mean I know that one’s not true.
If you are brave enough to actually click through (I’m not… paranoid??) and get details of the post-registration experience, feel free to let us all know in the comments.
I just think it’s creepy. And there’s more, I found another PDFA site that’s even hipper than this one, check out the with-it lingo, you squares:
Got 5 minutes? It really could rock your world! Okay, that’s likely over the top, but it certainly can answer your questions and benefit every aspect of your relationship with your teen — and their health!
Turns out that the Partnership for a Drug-Free America are the fine folks responsible for the This is Your Brain on Drugs ad from the 80’s. It was 21 years ago, and thereby hangs a series of flashbacks, starting with the original commercial…
Today the PDFA, understanding the importance of their place in pop culture, have a page dedicated to the history of their egg-as-brain metaphor, it includes this priceless tidbit about how sound design leads to appreciation:
When the original idea for the “Fried Egg” spot was presented to the Partnership’s Creative Review Committee, it received mix reviews. It wasn’t until the voiceover and “sizzle” sound effects were added that it came to life and was truly appreciated!
Truly. And the Fried Egg spot was just one ally amongst the coalition of media mobilized to fight “The War on Drugs“. It was and is a war that lends itself nicely to a highlight reel, so below are key clips from the battlefield.
Nancy Reagan famously chaired the Just Say No campaign. On the Reagan Foundation page they refer to it as “Mrs. Reagan’s Crusade“. Here’s the iconic ad from that campaign:
Then of course there was RAD (Rock Against Drugs–get it?). This campaign dates back to that bizarre and troubling time in our nation’s history when MTV showed music videos. Thank goodness that’s over, huh?
The RAD stable of spokes-rockers leaned rather heavily on the Metal stars, so here are two prime examples.
Gene Simmons “You believe that crap?” is, in my opinion, the best anti-drug message ever. Because it’s cool. Which may be the wrong reason. But I have to say that, looking back now, it has remained damn cool which is more than we can say for Gene himself these days:
Vince Neil “I’m on top of everything I do…”, I bet you are Vince:
As a bonus, for anyone who is absolutely hooked on drug PSAs at this point, here’s a pretty funny round up of the Top 11 funniest nostalgic drug PSAs. Somehow he doesn’t include the Gene Simmons one, but there are a lot of other great ones.
From Reuters comes this short report on a beetle-wrestling tourney where kids coach (like Burgess Meredith for these bugs) and prod the insect gladiators onward. The Don King of the beetle brawl chimes in that this event is great for kids, getting them out of video games cuz “Rhino Beetles are so analog”. Cute huh? Standard News of the weird material, right? End of story?
As usual, scratch the surface and find there’s much more here than fits the soundbyte.
A little less feel good than the Reuters story is this video (also narrated by a British female, though thankfully in a more modulated voice), a mini nature documentary on the real world sumo habits of the creature. This fighting thing is all about mating, of course.
And secondly, turns out this Beetle Battle meme is already full-on rampant in Japanese pop culture appearing in anime, toy, video / collectible card game, even robot kit forms as well. So this analog version actually follows the heels of multiple media.
If that weren’t already too much there’s a frickin crazy Japanese Bug Fights website with all manner of little creatures going intensely um bug-o a bug-o there are 30 of these up now, including the below featuring our friend the rhino beetle
The show opens this Saturday and runs until mid-September, it’s a free show in the park but donations are encouraged (just like the SF Mime Troupe). It’s a rare opportunity to see a first rate production of one of the great strange theatrical works of all time. And it’s the perfect thing for an election year!
Ridiculous! Raucous! Irreverent! Absurd!
Shotgun Players invite you to jeer at the candidates, throw some rotten cabbages and stand up for what you really believe in at John Hinkel Park - starting this weekend!
Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm
August 2nd - September 14th
Bring a picnic! Or belly up to the concessions stand for a Shotgun snack.
JOHN HINKEL PARK (Southampton Ave. off The Arlington in North Berkeley)
FREE ADMISSION with Campaign contributions to Shotgun Players strongly encouraged!
FEATURING:
Dave Garrett, Ryan O’Donnell, Carla Pantoja, Gary Grossman, Sung Min Park, Casi Maggio, Marlon Deleon, Megan Guzman, Raechel Lockhardt, Alf Pollard & Jordan Winer
Ubu Roi is a play by Alfred Jarry which pre-dated and influenced Dada (as well as Surrealism). It debuted in 1896 (when he was only 23 years old) and was, by any considered Dadaist’s terms, a mind-blowingly raging success…
Ubu Roi’s savage humor and monstrous absurdity, unlike anything thus far performed in French theater, seemed unlikely to ever actually be performed on stage. However, impetuous theater director Aurélien-Marie Lugné-Poe took the risk, producing the play at his Théâtre de l’Oeuvre.
On opening night (10 December 1896), with traditionalists and the avant-garde in the audience, King Ubu (played by Firmin Gémier) stepped forward and intoned the opening word, “Merdre!” (”Shittr!”). A quarter of an hour of pandemonium ensued: outraged cries, booing, and whistling by the offended parties, countered by cheers and applause by the more forward-thinking contingent. Such interruptions continued through the evening. At the time, only the dress rehearsal and opening night performance were held, and the play was not revived until 1907.
Alfred Jarry died that same year–1907, less than a decade into the 20th Century–at the ripe age of 34 from complications related to his sincere love for ether and absinthe.
He was remembered and his spirit carried on by friends who would become great and ground-breaking writers and artists in their own right including Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, and Pablo Picasso.
Jarry also invented “Pataphysics” which he described as the science of imaginary solutions. His other literary works include Caesar Antichrist and Le Surmâle (The Supermale) which is known as the first cyborg sex novel. A film based on The Supermalewill show later this year at YBCA in San Francisco.
Since I couldn’t make it to San Diego this year, I am instead window-surfing as it were, watching everybody else’s geeky good time via Flickr. Yes, I’m jealous of Eddie. Here’s a sampling of Trekkie treats I’ve found…
What is lesser known about this ground-breaking documentary director is that he is a prolific creator of ads for everything from Adidas to Volkswagon. These ads are for both intellectual / savvy faves (PBS and MoveOn.org) as well as very very corporate clients (Nike and Citibank). Many of these ads can be seen on a gallery on his site.
It’s important to remember the great culture-jammers of the past. And Mark Twain is definitely on the short list. With roots in San Francisco (well, transplanted roots, like most of us), a couple a.k.a.’s (Samuel Clemens plus at least two others), and significant time spent in Nevada, he qualifies as a proto of Co-Conspirators of Laughing Squid like the BLF, Negativland, Craig Baldwin, and Reverend Billy.
For a few years in the 1860’s, Mark Twain wrote for Virginia City, Nevada’s Territorial Enterprise newspaper. Twain’s pieces typically covered local matters and sometimes turned more from fact to fancy.
The most famous of his more mischievous efforts of this time is undoubtedly the below account of a mummified corpse, completely made up, who is captured for all eternity in mid nose-thumb. That last detail was so subtly conveyed in Twain’s article below that it failed as a punch line, and the item was subsequently picked up by papers across the country and reported as news.
PETRIFIED MAN
A petrified man was found some time ago in the mountains south of Gravelly Ford. Every limb and feature of the stony mummy was perfect, not even excepting the left leg, which has evidently been a wooden one during the lifetime of the owner - which lifetime, by the way, came to a close about a century ago, in the opinion of a savan who has examined the defunct.
The body was in a sitting posture, and leaning against a huge mass of croppings; the attitude was pensive, the right thumb resting against the side of the nose; the left thumb partially supported the chin, the fore-finger pressing the inner corner of the left eye and drawing it partly open; the right eye was closed, and the fingers of the right hand spread apart.
This strange freak of nature created a profound sensation in the vicinity, and our informant states that by request, Justice Sewell or Sowell, of Humboldt City, at once proceeded to the spot and held an inquest on the body. The verdict of the jury was that “deceased came to his death from protracted exposure,” etc. The people of the neighborhood volunteered to bury the poor unfortunate, and were even anxious to do so; but it was discovered, when they attempted to remove him, that the water which had dripped upon him for ages from the crag above, had coursed down his back and deposited a limestone sediment under him which had glued him to the bed rock upon which he sat, as with a cement of adamant, and Judge S. refused to allow the charitable citizens to blast him from his position. The opinion expressed by his Honor that such a course would be little less than sacrilege, was eminently just and proper. Everybody goes to see the stone man, as many as three hundred having visited the hardened creature during the past five or six weeks.
[reprinted in The Works of Mark Twain; Early Tales & Sketches, Vol. 1 1851-1864, (Univ. of California Press, 1979), p. 159.]
It turns out the motivation for this piece was largely to mock the above-mentioned Judge Sewell–to whom Twain later dutifully sent every re-printing of it that he could find. Here is Twain’s full recounting of the story and its impact from 1882.
And by the way, it seems that Twain is innocent of authoring that generally accurate SF cliche the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco–at least according to our local paper. Here’s Twain’s Obit from nearly 100 years ago from an older SF paper The Call.
Forget American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, the new contest that matters is between small teams taking on the challenge to write, shoot and produce a short film within a 2-day period in The 48 Hour Film Project 2008. Contests are going on around the country with an eventual world champion to be crowned later this year.
Here’s an excerpt from the Long Now blog post by the Foundation’s director, Alexander Rose:
I recently finished reading the review copy that Neal sent. The book pulled me in immediately, and I ended up reading the nearly 1000-page tome in just a few days. Set in a genre bending alt-future-retro world where mechani-punk technology meets space opera in a blend of the best of Snow Crash and The Baroque Cycle.
…
The Long Now Foundation will be hosting the book launch event in San Francisco on the evening of September 9th. The evening will include a reading by Stephenson, Q&A with Danny Hillis, and a small concert of the original music inspired by the book. Signed copies of the book will also be available.
Anathem’s story features a society of long-term thinkers. This is consistent with the Long Now’s mission to “foster long-term thinking”. While the novel is not based literally on the Long Now’s work there is a direct connection. The inspiration for the novel stems from a request that Long Now founder Danny Hillis made in 01999 of Stephenson and several others, to share their ideas for what a Millennium Clock would look like. These early sketches and ideas from Neal and others are on the Long Now site. Years later, Neal picked up these notes again and they started him on the road to this novel.
Neal Stephenson’s novels include the groudbreaking Snowcrash, Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon and his most recent work the 3-book project The Baroque Cycle– the last installment of which System of the World was released in 2005. He is a charter member of the Long Now Foundation.
Nik is an internationally-known scorer of animations, who records with Tom Waits amongst others, and was featured in Laughing Squid’s Tentacle Sessions. The “Ideas” series brought animations from around the world to the Bay Area, where Nik & the Sprocket Ensemble performed live beside them. There was always a very high quality of work presented, but still this one short (which Nik does not play on) really stood out.
A second video by the same combination of musical artist and animator was shown later in the series, and I was dying to learn more about it. The music was by The Real Tuesday Weld –what a strange name, is it man, woman or band?–while the visuals were created by Aleksey Budovsky, born in Russia and emigrated to New York; a prodigious talent of only 27-years old at the time.
Details were spotty 6 years ago now, but turns out that Stephen Coates is the driving force behind the music. Coates seems to also be known as The Clerkenwell Kid and he’s been steadily releasing albums and growing in noteriety. Now he’s on a US tour, and this week he’ll be in San Francisco to play that great former speakeasy Café Du Nord with a sizable band; it should be a great show.
From the bio on the Du Nord website:
Originally inspired by a dream of British 1930s crooner Al Bowlly and American actress Tuesday Weld, Stephen Coates began to create music to try to recreate the sounds he heard in his childhood home - ‘the crackling of radios playing swing and easy listening in some distant room.’ As The Real Tuesday Weld, Coates doesn’t hesitate to put those sounds to subversive use much like some of his most illustrious forebears and influences—such as Serge Gainsbourg and Ennio Morricone.
Coates has a real appreciation for animation and most of his videos feature great retro-animations like these which match very well with the style he’s created and calls “antique beat”.
The next clip actually features Nik Phelps on horns, it’s based on the classic tune “Brazil” and is called “(return I will to old) Brazil”. Nik & Nancy nowadays live in Belgium. They keep in touch with us old co-conspirators via tantalizing blogposts.
They had an incredible launch event for these at the Milan Furniture Fair 2007–check the video. They cost $140K and they only made 100 pairs. For some reason I can’t find any of those pairs for sale on eBay at the moment. :((
And last to mention are the Grand Enigma, a one-of-a-kind set by Kharma, which cost $1,000,000. I won’t even show you a picture cuz they are bigger than they are pretty. And you can’t have them anyway.
Poking around on this theme I found several pages dedicated to cataloging Weird Speakers, enjoy:
