At first glance i like the winning design for the World Trace Center site. Indoor gardens atop the world's tallest tower. Plus, the pit and remains of WTC and ground zero will be left untouched. Unfortunately, I don't have the benefit of reviewing the rejected designs, but the non-linear, somewhat abstract and freeform look the NYC skyline will project will be a strong statement and offer a stark contrast to the skyline as we knew it pre-9/11/01. Very cool. Let's just see what happens as the "committee" gets more involved.
2:18:48 AM permalink | | trackback ()
Worried about weapons of mass destruction, especially those of the biological or chemical persuasion, the U.S. Military will top their Hum-Vees with caged chickens.
[...]The chickens, which were otherwise destined for Kuwaiti dinner tables,
will work in the same way as canaries in coal mines used to. Small traces
of poisonous gases or chemical agent will kill the birds and warn troops
to put on their gas masks. "A sky full of oil can mask some chemicals,"
says Warrant Officer Jeff French, a nuclear, biological and chemical
officer for a marine battalion in Kuwait. "Using chickens may sound basic
but it's still one of the best ways we have of detecting chemical agent [...]"
I've heard of playing chicken before, but without the chickens, who would volunteer to take their gas mask off first after a run in with Saddam's finest? The operation is affectionately known as Kuwaiti Field Chicken (KFC). And while animal activists are going to have a their own field day with the news, the alternative would be human lives. Then again, war results in the loss of human lives anyway.
Perhaps we should just blow off sending in the troops and send in our best fighting poultry and stage a Gulf cock fighting war. Winner takes all.
The site and domain (www.isonews.com) belonged to David Rocci who ran what law enforcement officials say was the nation's the most active site dedicated to online computer piracy.
Rocci [...] pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by trafficking in devices known as modification, or "mod," chips. Those are computer chips used to circumvent copyright protections in such game systems at Playstation2 and XBox, allowing users to illegally play pirated sports, racing and other games on their televisions. Officials described the site, with more than 100,000 regular users and more than 140,000 hits each day, [...] The officials plan to post information about the criminal case against Rocci and about copyright infringement on the Web site, along with links to Justice Department sites.
I think Rocci is pretty stupid. Considering all the traffic his site generated, maybe not that stupid. Yet according to The Washington Post he sold 450 "chips" over a two month period. That's an average of 15 sales per day. I'm sure if I scanned my "Junk (spam) Mail" I'd find a number of spammers offering hacks for Cable TV boxes, XBoxes and other boxes. I'm not sure how Rocci marketed his site, but I'm sure he spammed and those that did buy certainly created a little viral marketing network that also bought into his scam.
It's cases like these that overshadow legitimate copying of copyrighted material for personal use. Unfortunately, these illegal activities get more grand standing and hinder efforts for those areas of the DMCA that do more harm than good for both citizens and creative artists. But what's more scary is the fact that the U.S. Justice Department has set a precedent in seizing a domain and website. Even more interesting is the fact that due to the large volume of traffic Rocci's site receives, the Justice Department will use the site as a public awareness program to illustrate just what happens to people and their sites if they blatantly profit from piracy.
[...] because the Web site was "facilitating" the crime and because Justice Department officials wanted to send a message to other violators, they came up with the idea of seizing the site. Officials said this could be a harbinger of enforcement actions [...]
thanks to rob. when you gonna blog? - for the link
My dad just finished building a house in Southern Florida. He's been very forward of late in his invitation to visit. To my brother, too. So when Jon & I finally coordinated schedules, considering his daughters' school vacations, we finally agreed on a date. Turns out the week we're going is the biggest week in Florida for cabin fevered east coasters -- spring break. Fares are high this week. So I decided to try to liquidate some frequent flyer miles. Delta Airlines had the best schedules. Now getting any good flight on miles is either massive god luck, a miracle or an airline mistake. They just don't want to make it easy. Typically, anyway. So I secured a great flight direct from Orange County to West Palm Beach. One stop in Texas, but the same plane. Coming back was a challenge however. The only way for me to get back at the time I wanted without cutting my trip to less than 48 hours was to get a double hopper back to Orange County. West Palm. Atlanta. Salt Lake City. And finally Orange County. Reluctantly, I took it.
My pipe dream rationalization had me travelling with my new 17" PowerBook, so I'd be able to use the idle time to catch up on writing my book. And while Apple promises to ship on or before March 24th, somehow I'm doubting I'll have it in hand mid-April when I head east. [...] Ok.Here's the good stuff. So the Delta agent explained to me, nearly two weeks ago when I made this reservation, that there was a direct (same plane) one stop flight to Orange County for my return, but was unavailable for reward travel. I inquired as to the possibility of more seats released in the future. She said sometimes. But not likely. She encouraged me to call back and if the flight opened up, I could change my reservation without penalty. I explained to her that once my reservation was made, it would be likely that I'd not think about the flight till my morning departure. And that my bags would remain unpacked until two hours prior to flight time. I'm that way travelling. Drives some people crazy. So I asked the Delta agent if they could call me if it opened up. She explained that she could put me on a waiting list, but told me not to get my hopes up. The agent was very good about managing my expectations.
Yesterday my mobile phone rang with a "restricted" number on the caller ID. Normally I don't answer these calls, but some serious project coordination and meetings over the last week meant could be something important. It was Delta. A nice agent explained to me that my flight opened up and that she had put me on the more convenient flight. I was blown away. The only other time I got a call from an airline was when my flight was cancelled. Delta Airlines gets my vote as best customer service. I did fly a Delta/Air France combo flight to Budapest last summer. Equally a pleasant experience. Yet as a "free frequent flyer" passenger providing absolutely no revenue to the airline, the fact they went out of their way to handle my request is amazing in this era of airline service reduction and cost-cutting. Bravo Delta. You've moved to the top of my list. Now I just wonder if Apple might blow my expectations away...
11:08:41 AM permalink | | trackback ()
A week late, but today New York Times business section report on the Pyra acquisition by Google. First reported by Dan Gillmor and reported hereLive From the Blogosphere. There's already been much opined about this acquisition so I won't bore you with more, but I did think the following was worthy of noting.
Google's attempt to automate news gathering on its news page (news.google.com) is still under development but has already earned some ridicule from journalists [...] for example, Google News was more than an hour behind human-powered sites CNN.com and Yahoo News with word of the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia.
So how will the chattering of Blogger's 200,000 active users help Google improve its news judgment? The deal may be less about chatter than about links, said Meg Hourihan, who founded Pyra with Mr. Williams in 1999 and left in 2001 after a dispute over its direction, keeping a stake in the company. Ms. Hourihan said she was not familiar with Google's plans, but she said that it made sense for Google to be interested in gaining faster access to the links in Weblogs.
You rock, sweetheart. Congratulations. At a time when the lines between soulful expressive music and noise, harmonic dissonance, voice and electronics blur the lines of what is music and what is something else, I find it so encouraging the at 23 years old you are writing and playing music that is far from the mainstream. Even better, that it is recognized and rewarded. Congratulations.
I discovered you by accident about 14 months ago. I'd like to think I had a hand in promoting you. I must have recommended you to dozens, bought copies of your debut for others and included your songs on nearly every playlist or compilation CD I made. Still nobody had heard of you. Then you got popular. Not the jealous type, I was excited. Instead of some angry punk wining about his past and his mother, you played and sang songs from your heart. I think it was satellite radio where I first found you finally getting some airplay. And I used your songs in a home video/DVD project I made. I felt you were real. Motivated by your art, not your pocketbook.
Your voice makes me melt. Your piano makes me sway and smile. And your arrangements, simple, seductive and sassy. I love you Norah. I love you for awakening interest in music that barely rises above the noise. I love you for being young and true to your self and what you love. And damnit. You are beautiful. As a whole person. And nothing less. Congratulations. You're a winner.
[ norah jones won a bunch of grammy awards tonight including best new artist and album of the year, Come Away with Me
]
Been on a whirlwind the last few days. So blogging is a bit light. Last night went to the first public opening of the new Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. With 262 rooms/suites the resort has been a source of controversy for the people in Laguna. Situated on one of the most prime 55 acre ocean front bluffs in Southern California, the property began as a mecca for campers at the turn of the century and involved into a mobile home park and one of the oldest Laguna Beach communities. Knowns as "Treasure Island" because portions of the film were filmed there in the early 1930's. For more than twenty years the property has changed hands multiple times along with a number of development proposals from full-scale resorts, modest hotels and ocean front time shares. In 1997 The Treasure Island Mobile Home park officially closed after many years of litigation and an out-of-court settlement between Merrill Lynch Hubbard and several of the 268 mobile-home owners.
For more than a year the property and the Pacific Coast Highway have been under immense construction and often referred to as a "war zone" by its residents. But driving into the Montage last night I felt like I was driving into a property that was warm and welcoming. The property is designed in the inspired by California Craftsman, "arts and crafts" architecture and interiors of Greene and Greene, William Morris and others. The walls are tastefully decorated with the works of California Impressionist painters who were so inspired by the California Coast.
This is striking contrast to one of the other two five-star hotels that will serve as competition for the Montage, The St. Regis at Monarch Beach. The St. Regis is big Mediterreanean styled resort that is at its best pompous and cold. Just comparing a walk through the lobby of both hotels and you'll experience exactly what I mean by cold and creepy versus warm and welcoming.
Though I know that these resorts will bring more traffic, people and with it congestion that Laguna Beach doesn't need, I am happy that the developers of Montage pulled out all the stops to create a property that blends into the coast, recognizes the beauty of the California bungalow and inspires and reflects the long heritage of Laguna Beach as an artists community.
12:20:39 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Wired today reports on tools that will make posting to weblogs easier when on the road.
[...] Joe Laszlo, a Jupiter Research analyst, believes that of the estimated 500,000 people who maintain a weblog, as many as 25 percent might eventually use moblogging tools to update their sites. He predicts carriers will use moblogging software in different ways: Some will lure customers with tools like Kablog that allow them to remotely update their existing weblog. Others will follow the FoneBlog model and use moblogging as a way to reduce subscriber turnover by tying a user's weblog to a carrier's service. [...]
Clear Channel seems to be media consolidation's whipping boy. Hard to find anyone who doesn't love to hate Clear Channel. And like the bully in the schoolyard who went a bit too far, Clear Channel is losing its fellow media conglomerate friends.
[...] Today, broadcast, cable and newspaper giants like Viacom, Comcast and Gannett want a chance to expand their empires and enjoy the same large-scale efficiencies that Clear Channel has profited from. But they're frustrated. After years of intensive lobbying and with a Federal Communications Commission chairman, Michael Powell, who is widely considered to be thoroughly pro-deregulation, the havoc wrought upon radio by Clear Channel is unexpectedly offering ample proof of what can go wrong with media deregulation. Radio's current mess is having a significant impact on the debate over media concentration, and may even force Powell to water down his long-awaited ownership recommendations [...] salon.com
To be sure, the current White House administration is taking a hands off approach to media regulation and the de-regulation enabled by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. But as Eric points out, Clear Channel is making deregulation look bad. And this just might be a good thing for the rest of us and for mass media overall.
[...] consumer discontent with broadcast radio appears to have finally gotten the attention of politicians. Appearing before the Commerce Committee in January, Powell received an earful from senators who for years were indifferent to radio. Suddenly, they were pressing him about the industry's runaway consolidation. In a rare move, Powell, an articulate free-market advocate who thinks today's ownership rules don't "reflect the realities of the modern media marketplace," conceded he was "concerned about the concentration, particularly in radio." [...]
More benefits of drinking wine. You'll be healhier than abstainers, according to Duke Universit Study. And, wine drinkers make better lovers. Right now I'm toasting the study with a 1994 Robert Craig, Mt Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley.
11:57:09 PM permalink | | trackback ()
C|Net reports that Microsoft has acquired "some" assets of Connectix including Virtual PC and an undisclosed and unreleased server product. I'm wondering what this means to the performance of Virtual PC in future releases. I guess we can look forward to more bloatware for the Mac from Microsoft. Time will tell.
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I finally was able to see and lay my hands on a 17" PowerBook. The local Apple Store in Newport Beach (Fashion Island) received a single display unit on Monday. It's beautiful. It's big. And the screen is phenomenal. Definitely going to require first or biz class seats to take this on my next trip. The one thing I noticed that is subtle yet very slick and speaks to the continued measurable improvement Apple makes with each new product. The hinge on this new PowerBook is so smooth and sure. It glides with ease, yet sits firmly in place once you're comfortable with the angle. The old TiBook I had sometimes required a two handed screen tilt adjustment. One to hold the PowerBook from shifting on a less than tacky surface, and the other to adjust the screen. No more. And from the sounds of it, the hinge might be a bit more durable. I'm not sure how Joi busted the hinge on his TiBook. But here's his story and a picture of his new 12" PowerBook in "target disk mode" while making the transfer from his hinge impaired TiBook. My biggest beefs with the 12" PowerBook? It doesn't have a DVI port. This means it's impossible to hook up one of Apple's superior all-digital large LCD displays. Sure, it's got a VGA out. But who cares. And its 128mb RAM is soldered to the motherboard. With only one slot open, the max memory is 640mb.
But at least Joi has GOT a new PowerBook. Me? 33 days and counting.
1:50:12 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Advertising dollars. It's the lifeblood of the media industry. Money talks. Large advertisers have more power than you'd think. In some cases these advertisers can influence programming. There have been more than a few times that scenes of television shows, news programs and documentaries have been left on the cutting room floor due to an overtly vocal advertiser or a fearful management staff unwilling to deal with the phone call from an advertiser post air time.
However, in this era of post dot-com advertising frenzy, the media is struggling to make numbers. Magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations have more inventory than buyers. This is quite a contrast from 1999 and 2000 when radio spots and hot outdoor properties in major markets were sold to the highest bidder and when editorial to ad ratios in major tech, business and crossover publications were 6 or 7 to 1.
But like those high flying IPOs of yesteryear times have changed.
So when media turn away or accept what might be considered controversial advertising, the question of policy, ethics and judgement have to be matched against profits, investor return on equity and continued viability.
Yet when the advertising sales team at far left publication The Nation accepted a back cover ad from the Fox News channel ($8,100), seems The Nation simply thought of the money and not about its readership. And its readership blasted the publication with more than 250 ranting and raging letters, emails, voice messages and at least 50 subscription cancellations.
Let me explain. First, have you ever read The Nation magazine? Maybe you're a subscriber, casual browser or you wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. When it comes to politics, the passionate are extremely passionate. And The Nation's readership leans pretty hard to the left. For example, a hot topic you'll find peppered through the pages of The Nation is anger and distaste toward what it perceives a national media bias toward the conservative. And accepting advertising dollars from the evil-doer conservative media would be akin to a vegetarian magazine accepting advertising from Omaha Steaks.
[...] "The words that they're using are outraged, shocked, confused, absolutely appalled, dismayed and dumfounded,"
said Ellen Bollinger, vice president for advertising at the
magazine. One e-mail message even read, "It is like an ad for Klan
News." [...]
Why would Fox News want to advertise in a publication that has been known to refer to the network as "a calculated
mouthpiece for the right that remains thinly veiled behind
its misleading mantra, 'fair and balanced'."?
The ad, which ran in the Feb. 17 issue, thanked America for
making Fox the highest-rated cable news network. It also ran in advertising industry publications and the leading daily newspaper in Atlanta -- home of news network pioneer CNN.
Fox News is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. And this seems a classic Murdoch move to rub its competition and liberal media foes where it hurts. Certainly creates buzz and makes for nice headlines. And by doing so is taking a certain degree of risk that many other companies would never chance. But one thing bothers me. I wonder if the Saudi's dared to try to place their image ad on Fox? And would Fox leave the Saudi's money on the table? I doubt it on both parts. But certainly makes for interesting speculation.
A former US Assistant Defense Secretary is quoted as saying that French Oil giant TotalFinaElf has negotiated with Iraq contracts worth $40-$50 billion to develop the significant Majnoon and Bin Umar Oilfields in Southern Iraq. So depending on who you'd like to believe today, which conspiracy camp you're sleeping in and if you favor the concept that war is about oil, I guess you'd have to ask Chirac why they're not jumping on board with Bush and his bandwagon. Maybe because if we do get a regime change, all contracts negotiated with the Saddam regime will be null and void. Again, that is if you're sticking to the oil story. That is, this would be the Oil For Peace theory. And in that case, you have to wonder why Spain is so pro-Bush on the war. It appears that in 1997 Spain's prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, had offered to pay Baghdad in "aid" if it gave oil contracts to the Spanish-owned Repsol company. Geeeeez. When will the giant dental floss theory surface? And are we forgetting about the huge contract and pending location fee for a major Hollywood studio's Iraq-based action flick? I'm growing weary of all this rhetoric. [thanks to John Robb for the pointer]
This makes me sad. And mad. Some of the greatest writing and innovative ideas in the online publishing world. I almost want to fly to SFO and try to be superman and save this organization. But that's idealistic, unpractical and silly. But it makes me wonder. Are they suffocating under too much debt? Do they have a bloated infrastructure? Have they explored integrating offline and online properties? Are there acquisitions that might breed new life? Damn. I don't want to see Salon go down.
2:43:13 AM permalink | | trackback ()
And why I miss the east coast. This is not Syracuse where I went to school. Nor is this Darien, Connecticut, the sleepy suburb of NYC where I grew up. This is McLean, Virginia. Yes. The same McLean that's home to the CIA and hundreds of other famous political faces. Also home to my famous brother Jonathan. He took this picture hours before the final minutes of the soon to be infamous 2003 Blizzard and its 37+ beautiful snow blanket. Those were the days. I loved it when they closed schools, cancelled classes and posted travel advisory warnings. But sitting here in Newport Beach at 70+ degrees, all I'm worrying about is if I put my car in the garage so that the garden sprinklers don't pelt its paint. Another shitty day.
1:14:45 AM permalink | | trackback ()
I just posted a photo essay and photo album of the Live From The Blogosphere event I attended this past Saturday. You'll find more links at the end of this post, too.
11:59:02 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Long day. Longer evening. Just got back from an evening in LA. Started off with Slippery Shrimp and more tasty Chinese treats and Yang Chow in Chinatown with Doc. Turns out Tony Pierce ate there too. You guessed it: Slippery Shrimp. I thought I was lucky when the parking lot attendant moved the "Lot Full" sign out of the way and let me roll into the lot. Made sure I had any and all valuables then handed him the keys, as requested.
The Live in the Blogosphere event was excellent. Xeni Jardin kept the pace of the discussion quick and diverse with pointed questions and philosophical undertones including self-censorship, distributed conversations, blog fame and popularity, anonymity, blogtime and a bit of blog history. The panel of Mark Frauenfelder, Heather Havrilesky, Evan Williams, Susannah Breslin, Doc Searls and Tony Pierce also fielded questions from a packed gallery of bloggers, journalists and curious newcomers and voyeurs. Just a day after meeting him over the phone, I met Fleming (aka Ming the Mechanic) in person. Also new faces and friends including Josh, Jonathan, Jonah and Skip. If we met and I left you off, my apologies. Drop me a note and I'll post your link in a follow up.
Biggest news (of the you heard it first kind) happened when Evan showed Dan Gillmor's column minutes after it went live with the news that Google acquired his company Pyra Software and the immensely popular Blogger weblogging product. Congratulations Evan. He also showcased some exciting new technology to be offered on Blogger soon -- Audio Blogging courtesy of Audblog.
Turns out the after event part at Hop Louie was quite popular. Especially among smokers. Just proof that there still is at least one place in California you can light up a dart in a bar. A few of us of decided to have our post-blogosphere tea and hot and sour soup down the street. By the time the midnight bells rang, it was time for everyone to head their separate ways. Nice idea. Except the valet still had my keys. Kind enough, he put a note on my car indicating the location of my keys: in the restaurant. Nice move Allan. Yang Chow closed an hour or so earlier. Saturday night and stuck in Chinatown. No worries. Thanks to Doc, the gorgeous lobby at the Biltmore and Alicia in an hour or so later I had my second set of keys and was on the road.
Stay tuned more pictures tomorrow. It's late. I'm amazed I got this much posted.
Today I woke up. Was a good start. Day like any other day. Well. In Southern California the last few days we've been hit by badly needed rain. The wind whips up his force, tossing tree branches, blowing whats left of leaves and shaking those long neck palms, hanging traffic lights and ubiquitous BIG green road signs. Yep. A veritable monsoon. I love it.
But the real storm is happening 3,000 miles away and in every living room across the country. Washington DC and television. Well, just about every media. Even the internet. So when I launched a news page this morning I see Big Cheese Rumsfeld waving his arm in the air with a bolded subtitle, "Nuclear Bomb Not Ruled Out Against Iraq". My jaw drops. I cannot believe what I'm reading. Phone rings. It's my brother. He's just interviewed Bloomberg on the Lexington Line subway. He gets interrupted. Tells me New York fears cyanide attack. Yesterday we're told North Korea has nukes pointing at us. Nothing like whipping the country up in a little fear fervor, huh? Oh. That's right. Osama has reared his ugly head again. What perfect timing. Could a better script be written? And the office workers are concerned about Joe Millionaire's fateful decision and the fallout to come upon his fessing up the truth. This is just great. And this is why I'm excited about joining the Emergent Democracy discussions. Exciting times.
Apple released a new public beta of Safari its super fast and extremely HOT web browser. Improves compatability with more websites. Maybe cookies and javascript, too? Download it here.
2:58:53 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Looks like Microsoft finally publicly committed yesterday to deliver an Exchange solution for Macintosh OS X. With Apple's Xserve update earlier this week and Microsoft's movement on Exchange, it's starting to look interesting for those enterprises who've avoided Mac because of investment in Microsoft and Exchange technology. Just hope this Exchange doesn't follow the same path as Intuit did with QuickBooks. The new QuickBooks 5.0 pro for Mac OS X is a joke -- uses a totally different data format than the PC version, horrible user interface, payroll is a band aid solution, inventory implementation non-existent. Should I go on? MYOB still makes the best small biz accounting software for Mac OS XAccountEdge. Compare the two here.
2:51:23 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Got your survival supplies? I wonder if U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison is holding any Home Depot stock under an assumed alias? Gotta prepare for emergencies. Like a microphone that just won't stay where it's supposed to? Or mic cables that are too easy to trip over? Or the curtain that just needs to be held back? In college and shortly after I did sound and sometimes lighting for a few rock bands. We could fix anything with Duct Tape. In fact, ever since those days I affectionally refer to this strong adhesive cure-all fabric as "rock and roll tape". Never did think of it as a terrorist defense, though. Have you bought yours? Keeping a few roles around just in case? Well... Never underestimate the power of television. It's selling like hotcakes. Even Maureen Dowd picked up on the Duct Tape Bandwagon. [thanks to rob for the link]
2:17:24 AM permalink | | trackback ()
Remember Hunter S. Thompson? Remember when Rolling Stone was a magazine that mattered? Remember the last time, or was the last time, or was it the time before, this country went to war? There was a young writer who captured a the sociopolitical, the counter cultural, the escapists, the fun, free and loving spirit of the youth of this great country? Hunter S. Thompson was there. Living it. And writing about it. Sure. He mattered once, too. He wrote a (do I dare?) landmark book that was required reading for virtually all college attending males (and likely those who didn't) in the late 70's and 80's. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Perhaps of equal merit were the whimsical illustations by Ralph Steadman that first appeared in Fear & Loathing and which now appear on Bonny Doon and Wing Canyon wine labels. Like many successful franchises, Thompson tried to create line extensions with his Fear and Loathing brand. His third book, Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail barely succeeded on the tails of the original. Oh, and he tried other Fear & Loathing type books. But did any matter? Then Hunter took his brand, attitude, pen, paper and mind and escaped into the darkest corner of the Rocky Mountains. Occasionally, he crawls out to scribble something or another. Maybe to play with his guns. Then back into his cave he goes. I don't know if fellow Rocky Mountain Gonzo Boy Christopher Locke has reported HST sightings, but might be worth checking in. Or any of his other famous, if not, reclusive neighbors. Locke seemed to run with the gonzo brand and apply it to marketing.
Today, Hunter calls himself "an elderly dope fiend living out in the wilderness." And at 65 years old his new book, a memoir has eeked its way onto the New York Times bestseller list: "Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century." Still trying to get mileage out of that "fear" thing. Or, is he simply borrowing a chapter or concept from Michael Moore's latest film? I jus don't know. But his interview with John Glassie which appeared on Salon.com last week is interesting, if not simply entertaining reading. In the way that only Hunter S. Thompson could do.
[...] While the country's spinning out of control, Thompson says his own lifestyle has been a model of consistency. He still does whatever the hell he wants. In fact, his new book was supposed to be a "definitive memoir of his life," a long look back by the man who rode with the Hell's Angels, who experienced the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention, and who has smoked more cigarettes, driven more fast cars, fired more weapons and done more drugs than most living people, let alone most living authors [...]
If you've read anything by Hunter S. Thompson in the last 30 or so years, browse through this interview. You'll have a wild ride with a 65 year old lifetime member of the NRA and (elderly) dope fiend who at his age doesn't mind the "dope fiend" moniker - he'd like to lose the elderly, though. As for regrets about anything he's done in his rather colorful life?
[...] That goes to the question of would you do it again. If you can't say you'd do it again, it means that time was wasted -- useless. The regrets I have are so minor. You know, would I leave my Keith Richards hat, with the silver skull on it, on the stool at the coffee shop at LaGuardia? I wouldn't do that again. But overall, no, I don't have any regrets [...]
Somebody ripped off Doc's laptop from his car this weekend. Poor guy has had more bad luck the last three months with email problems, camera theft and now this. The guy with the biggest heart doesn't deserve this. Geeez. I'll see Doc Saturday night. Just wish I had a spare to bring him. He's posted notices offering a reward. I hope someone comes clean or he gets a good tip. It's not the hardware. It's the stuff. You know, the data.
Update. Looks like Doc's got a temporary G4/500 laptop. But now he knows how I've been feeling using this silly B/W G3 400 for the last two months while I wait for my 17" PowerBook. Doc. I feel for you. We can lament our tortured tech withdrawals Saturday.
Still haven't purchased your new 20GB iPod? No worries. If you're called on to present or perform at this year's Grammy Awards, you'll find one in the gift bag that's handed to each presenter. And at $499 it's not the most expensive goodie you'll find in your gift bag. [thanks to MacMerc for the pointer].
7:52:49 PM permalink | | trackback ()
Wow. A new discovery for me. Word Jazz. I guess I've been aware of this art form. But I gotta admit that I've not really given it much attention. I guess lack of exposure. And lack of motivation to search it out. So when I followed Marc'spointer to Ken Nordine'sSix Commercials In Search of a Client 6mb .mp3 file. Great stuff. The advertising guy in my was intrigued. My cynical side stimulated. And the creative artist exposed to a new art form to explore. It's likely you've heard Ken Nordine's voice. A top voice over talent. Which makes his "Six Commercials" even more ironic. The link about Ken Nordine and the Grateful Dead I found especially interesting.
4:06:05 AM permalink | | trackback ()
Attended a great tasting of six vintages of Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon and its 2001 Sauvignon Blanc this week at one of my favorite fine dining establishments in Orange County: Pinot Provence.
(L) Pinot Provence, Costa Mesa, California a perfect setting for the Spottswoode Tasting (R) Beth Novak, Owner, Spottswoode Vineyard & Winery and Amar Dhillon, President, Platinum Associates with 1986 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Imperial Bottle.
There's nothing like a few blog posts on music and radio to elicit some interesting responses from those who've stopped by The Digital Tavern. For those of you tuning in, here is my first radio inspired post and here's the second.
While it's no secret that the state of radio is deteriorated over the last decade. Much of the angst, aggression and blame from nay sayers is aimed at Clear Channel, who has chalked up more radio station acquisitions in the last six years than Shaq has rebounds. And with its massive appetite, Clear Channel has virtually and single-handedly turned commercial radio into a homogeneous bland mixture of music and mush that represents largely what's wrong with the music industry and mass media today. Harsh and strong words? You betcha. Are there exceptions to this rule? Sure. But for how long?
Keep in mind that even though the Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed for the consolidation of radio that has led to its current fate, the legislation does require station owners to serve its local audiences. Thereby preventing Clear Channel from doing what it'd like to do: serve each of its 1400 stations with a single syndicated feed 24/7. Think of the $$$ they'd save on DJ's alone! So when I followed Scott Rosenberg'spointer to David Gallagher's piece in Monday's New York Times, I couldn't resist another poke at the Clear Channel megalopoly.
One of Clear Channel's subsidiaries is responsible for the syndicated countdown program "Carson Daly's Most Requested." Daly's producers work hard to simulate the effect that he is actually playing requests from and speaking to the local market where the program is aired. Fact is, Carson is a robot. That is, he's merely the manifestation of Clear Channel's technologists. Scott, explains the technology perhaps more eloquently than Gallagher:
[...] this radio mega-conglomerate has assembled a DJ from database parts. Basically, they've taken the recorded voice of Carson Daly, chopped it into little snippets and used those soundbites to re-assemble pseudo-local broadcasts -- so that listeners in, say, Atlanta hear a localized "top 40" broadcast, with Daly introducing each song in the particular order that applies to that market, yet Daly never actually said those words in that order. [...]
Don't get me wrong, I'm the first one to acknowledge and applaud advances in technology. For years, I've been an addictive early adopter. And this technology is slick. However, when used at the naiveté and expense of "local listeners", it's time to call foul play.
[...] It's hard to know whether to applaud the ingenuity required to create such a DJ-bot, or barf at the complete triumph of corporate homogenization that it represents. I think the gagging in my throat tells me which reaction predominates for me. [...] Scott Rosenberg
It's perfect. You can see the next phase. Simply by creating a database of phrases, vowel and consonant sounds, expressions, inflection patterns and through the use of a sophisticated voice modeling algorithm, Clear Channel will avoid forever the problems of emotional, idiosyncratic and wage and salary earning DJs. Plus, with the punch of a few buttons or simple web interface, programming changes can be made country wide. All from the comfort of Clear Channel's programming offices.
While I'm sure the labor unions have an issue with the likelihood of DJ jobs lost to Clear Channel's innovation, my issue is with the thousands of great artists whose songs will never have a remote chance of airplay. And while in my previous post(s) on radio and music, I suggested that perhaps the next millennium "underground radio" movement would take place on the internet. Even this possibility is in grave jeopardy by the efforts of the RIAA and its members.
Worried about weapons of mass destruction, especially those of the biological or chemical persuasion, the U.S. Military will top their Hum-Vees with 
I've heard of playing chicken before, but without the chickens, who would volunteer to take their gas mask off first after a run in with Saddam's finest? The operation is affectionately known as Kuwaiti Field Chicken (KFC). And while animal activists are going to have a their own field day with the news, the alternative would be human lives. Then again, war results in the loss of human lives anyway.
Yet when the advertising sales team at far left publication 
Why would Fox News want to advertise in a publication that has been known to refer to the network as "a calculated
mouthpiece for the right that remains thinly veiled behind
its misleading mantra, 'fair and balanced'."?
And why I miss the east coast. This is not Syracuse where I went to school. Nor is this Darien, Connecticut, the sleepy suburb of NYC where I grew up. This is McLean, Virginia. Yes. The same McLean that's home to the CIA and hundreds of other famous political faces. Also home to my famous brother Jonathan. He took this picture hours before the final minutes of the soon to be infamous 2003 Blizzard and its 37+ beautiful snow blanket. Those were the days. I loved it when they closed schools, cancelled classes and posted travel advisory warnings. But sitting here in Newport Beach at 70+ degrees, all I'm worrying about is if I put my car in the garage so that the garden sprinklers don't pelt its paint. Another shitty day.
Long day. Longer evening. Just got back from an evening in LA. Started off with 
The Live in the Blogosphere event was excellent. Xeni Jardin kept the pace of the discussion quick and diverse with pointed questions and philosophical undertones including self-censorship, distributed conversations, blog fame and popularity, anonymity, blogtime and a bit of blog history. The panel of 
Biggest news (of the you heard it first kind) happened when Evan showed 
So when I launched a news page this morning I see Big Cheese Rumsfeld waving his arm in the air with a bolded subtitle, "Nuclear Bomb Not Ruled Out Against Iraq". My jaw drops. I cannot believe what I'm reading. Phone rings. It's my brother. He's just interviewed Bloomberg on the Lexington Line subway. He gets interrupted. Tells me New York fears cyanide attack. Yesterday we're told North Korea has nukes pointing at us. Nothing like whipping the country up in a little fear fervor, huh? Oh. That's right. Osama has reared his ugly head again. What perfect timing. Could a better script be written? And the office workers are concerned about Joe Millionaire's fateful decision and the fallout to come upon his fessing up the truth. This is just great. And this is why I'm excited about joining the 
