it's a little late for Christmas but this song is still one of my favourites from my favourite irish rock band (sorry u2) the pogues.
Friday, February 23, 2007
artist of the day:veraguta
perhaps i'll have time for something like this - an artist of the day.
today's will be veraguta out of siberia via deviantart.com
today's will be veraguta out of siberia via deviantart.com
you know you want to be a deviant(artist)
deviantart.com has become a huge time waster for me.
and i know why - where else can one see so much art, good art, bad art, just plain old weird art for free. there are subscription levels but, the artists can sell their work and i can just sort of geek out on some fantastical work.
for example frixin has some mindblowingly surreal photos.
and i know why - where else can one see so much art, good art, bad art, just plain old weird art for free. there are subscription levels but, the artists can sell their work and i can just sort of geek out on some fantastical work.
for example frixin has some mindblowingly surreal photos.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
make your own manga
it's probably just a matter of time before someone latches on to this and makes a free version for *nix or something but i have to admit that i was tempted to download the demo and take it for a whirl.
then i remembered i'm getting married soon and don't have time for that kind of thing, or much of anything.
so much to do, so much to do. :D so excited, am i
manga studio
then i remembered i'm getting married soon and don't have time for that kind of thing, or much of anything.
so much to do, so much to do. :D so excited, am i
manga studio
song of the day
'fully alive' by flyleaf.
somehow this band reminds me of what tool would be like if alanis morrisette were the front woman. but, that could be my caffeine deprived brain working overtime this morning.
somehow this band reminds me of what tool would be like if alanis morrisette were the front woman. but, that could be my caffeine deprived brain working overtime this morning.
british teen saves family farm via biodiesel
well, not really but it caught your attention
from autobloggreen (by way of digg.com) comes this fantastic story out of britain about a home schooled student who up and decides to make biodiesel and ends up saving the family quite a pound in the long run.
the story is a bit of a fluff piece, nothing much on the particulars other than the kind that get it dugg and or re-blogged around the planet.
much like i'm doing this morning.
make yer own biodiesel
from autobloggreen (by way of digg.com) comes this fantastic story out of britain about a home schooled student who up and decides to make biodiesel and ends up saving the family quite a pound in the long run.
the story is a bit of a fluff piece, nothing much on the particulars other than the kind that get it dugg and or re-blogged around the planet.
much like i'm doing this morning.
make yer own biodiesel
ummm *feeling speechless*
this photo...is apparently not a photo. it's a computer rendered image.
i think i need another cup of coffee...my reality isn't ready for this yet.
though i'm feeling oddly inspired.
i think i need another cup of coffee...my reality isn't ready for this yet.
though i'm feeling oddly inspired.
aliens save laptop - or why geeks matter
well, put it this way - can matter.
ms. melin is a novelist and aspiring screenwriter. the house she and her husband share was broken into and the computer she is using for notating all her hard work is taken.
enter the brave husband - geek to the core, programmer and all who has installed the distributed software for finding life other planets (SETI@Home for those interested) and sure enough the system was 'calling home'.
he turns in the data to the cops, cops locate the system and return it safe and sound.
aliens save laptop?
ms. melin is a novelist and aspiring screenwriter. the house she and her husband share was broken into and the computer she is using for notating all her hard work is taken.
enter the brave husband - geek to the core, programmer and all who has installed the distributed software for finding life other planets (SETI@Home for those interested) and sure enough the system was 'calling home'.
he turns in the data to the cops, cops locate the system and return it safe and sound.
aliens save laptop?
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
manga rules
it does. as i posted recently about the dearth of good storylines in most modern comics i have to represent that there is a visual storytelling artform that is holding it's own in terms of producing massive amounts of stories on a regular basis.
it's manga and by checking my collection, i see that there are two main publishers here in north america that distribute content - shonen jump and tokyo pop.
but, for the uninitiated, what is manga?
well, the wikipedia entry for manga starts with a definition that explains the etymology of the word. (and if it was you - yo! in the back going etya what? get yerself over to dictionary.com and look it up. i don't have time this morning).
long and short of it is that it's japanese comic books. or even japanese style comic books. 99% of them are in black and white (and for those that just tuned me out - you have no idea what you're missing in b&w comics - you probably don't rock the old school movies either) and the artwork is highly stylized.
it takes a while to get used to the art form but once it does you find that the depth of the stories generally surpasses those of north american counterparts. and more stories. instead of a handful of superhero stories, you'll find tons. when i check out the manga section of world's biggest bookstore here in ill-dot, i see that it's twice the size of their graphic novel section and can easily hold down the amount of stories that are in the silver snail (another ill-dot fixture - this time for comics).
so, after finding marvel online - i thought i would check out shonenjump and sure enough shonenjump.com has free 'previews' of their work. and they don't force you to register.
i think this is something that i disliked the most about the marvel website. they wanted my email address so they could monetize my visit. my response is 'stop being so neurotic'. for real - shonenjump and tokyopop both seem to realize that if they give enough decent content online that they will make money at the retail level by selling their work. someone will eventually want to get a papercopy of their work.
links:
shonenjump.com
tokyopop
the dreaming
it's manga and by checking my collection, i see that there are two main publishers here in north america that distribute content - shonen jump and tokyo pop.
but, for the uninitiated, what is manga?
well, the wikipedia entry for manga starts with a definition that explains the etymology of the word. (and if it was you - yo! in the back going etya what? get yerself over to dictionary.com and look it up. i don't have time this morning).
long and short of it is that it's japanese comic books. or even japanese style comic books. 99% of them are in black and white (and for those that just tuned me out - you have no idea what you're missing in b&w comics - you probably don't rock the old school movies either) and the artwork is highly stylized.
it takes a while to get used to the art form but once it does you find that the depth of the stories generally surpasses those of north american counterparts. and more stories. instead of a handful of superhero stories, you'll find tons. when i check out the manga section of world's biggest bookstore here in ill-dot, i see that it's twice the size of their graphic novel section and can easily hold down the amount of stories that are in the silver snail (another ill-dot fixture - this time for comics).
so, after finding marvel online - i thought i would check out shonenjump and sure enough shonenjump.com has free 'previews' of their work. and they don't force you to register.
i think this is something that i disliked the most about the marvel website. they wanted my email address so they could monetize my visit. my response is 'stop being so neurotic'. for real - shonenjump and tokyopop both seem to realize that if they give enough decent content online that they will make money at the retail level by selling their work. someone will eventually want to get a papercopy of their work.
links:
shonenjump.com
tokyopop
the dreaming
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
myths over miami
one of the most amazing things about the current state of the internet is that i can pull this article up and still present it to you - it was published in 1997 and since we're (checks calendar) yes in 2007 it shows that the early adopters of the internet have a dividend of material to offer.
yay.
anyways, dictionary.com defines myth as being "a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature"
i came across the usage of this article in a tv show called jeremiah, which was one of those post-apocalyptic way in the future kind of things. and there was this episode that feature this new religon the children of that age were believing in which featured God having left heaven and the angels regrouping for a counter-attack.
it was sort of a post traumatic stress disorder version revelation for sure and was semi-central to the particular episode but nothing was explored following up.
i forget how i stumbled upon this article but the similarities were enough to convince me that the myths that homeless children have (those with parents on the streets and those without) was the basis for the research for the writer's subplot to that particular episode.
so here it is without furhter ado - myths over miami
yay.
anyways, dictionary.com defines myth as being "a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature"
i came across the usage of this article in a tv show called jeremiah, which was one of those post-apocalyptic way in the future kind of things. and there was this episode that feature this new religon the children of that age were believing in which featured God having left heaven and the angels regrouping for a counter-attack.
it was sort of a post traumatic stress disorder version revelation for sure and was semi-central to the particular episode but nothing was explored following up.
i forget how i stumbled upon this article but the similarities were enough to convince me that the myths that homeless children have (those with parents on the streets and those without) was the basis for the research for the writer's subplot to that particular episode.
so here it is without furhter ado - myths over miami
Monday, February 19, 2007
something from the nightside
this one's a bit old
published in 2003 it's something from the nightside by simon r. green.
first of all we have a novel that moves like nothing else. there's a trenchcoat and a detective going back to a part of the world (well really another world but we'll get to that later) that he's sworn himself to never going back.
next, there is a woman looking for a lost runaway daughter who tugs on his heartstrings and induces him to forgo whatever (it's reference to but really not ever broken out) was in the past and do the honourable thing and help her find her lost daughter.
after that it becomes a bit of a roller coaster ride where the author tries to throw as much weirdness at you as is possible without breaking stride with the plot and point of the novel that here we are with a blessed fusion of noir and of fantasy. of a hero, that claims to not be, of powerful enemies and an even bigger past.
fortunately the author only makes a few misteps. this is not something to be read on a deep level though i think it's one of those books that are fun to read on the subway to and from places, which is how i read it. though i have to admit that the author, misteps and all - manages to keep me, a highly skeptical reader (i presume) from becoming bored with the entire scene.
and then there's the usual amount of viscera that goes flying around. there is plenty of action sequences and they are done in such a way that not everything is solved using one trick or the other. i think that's one of the problems with a lot of genre fiction is that the journeymen and journeywomen who make the vast amout of the population of these novels sometimes forget that variety is the spice of life.
and then there is the whole thing about making a franchise. and judging by the nightside section on amazon.ca, i would say that mr. green is selling enough novels to keep his publisher happy enough to keep publishing them.
while these are not deeply personal (that i could tell) novels there are light touches about it that keep it on it's toes. things are held back that will make you want to check out the next book in the series.
and herein likes perhaps my only real grief with the whole first person pov of fiction (and this one is a nicely almost sardonic character). the problem is just this - if he/she is telling the story than the chances are about 90% good that the character survives things so it becomes a bit of a case where the author needs to ratchet up the need for empathy for the supporting characters so that one (presumably the reader and in some cases the armchair critic here) can actually feel the friction of what is going to happen.
and this is another problem with franchises - the first book of the series is something of a pain for a reader who wants stuff to happen - especially when the author wants the story to move along. there is this weird balance (and sometimes it's offkilter) where the author has to give some form of backstory or the reader is lost.
the only issue i have with that is that sometimes it's a bit offkilter. case in point is a conversation between a bartender and mr. taylor's client. too much of the character's backstory out there in front. the author did the best he could by painting it up and all but to someone looking for how a thing is put together it's a bit awkward.
whatever - writers don't generally write for other writers do the? - they should only for themselves and the 'gentle reader'.
and here is where the author shines. there is chockadeep references to characters from other stories. i saw references to zelazny's amber series as well as at least one or two of the worlds of michael moorcock.
make no mistake, this writer knows how to keep interest - there is a deft blend of violence, introspection, witty (or semi witty) banter and just plain out weirdness to keep the reader amused for the few hours it takes to read it. me, it took about four hours all told.
as for franchise - only if i see the collection of the first three books in the series or something would i go through the hassle of paying for them. i'll probably just settle accounts with my librarian and order it through the inter-library loan or something.
how to bottom line this: i would give it an 8 for the fan of fantasy/noir and a 6 for those who like a little bit more meat. if you like genre fiction you might only have a problem or two.
published in 2003 it's something from the nightside by simon r. green.
first of all we have a novel that moves like nothing else. there's a trenchcoat and a detective going back to a part of the world (well really another world but we'll get to that later) that he's sworn himself to never going back.
next, there is a woman looking for a lost runaway daughter who tugs on his heartstrings and induces him to forgo whatever (it's reference to but really not ever broken out) was in the past and do the honourable thing and help her find her lost daughter.
after that it becomes a bit of a roller coaster ride where the author tries to throw as much weirdness at you as is possible without breaking stride with the plot and point of the novel that here we are with a blessed fusion of noir and of fantasy. of a hero, that claims to not be, of powerful enemies and an even bigger past.
fortunately the author only makes a few misteps. this is not something to be read on a deep level though i think it's one of those books that are fun to read on the subway to and from places, which is how i read it. though i have to admit that the author, misteps and all - manages to keep me, a highly skeptical reader (i presume) from becoming bored with the entire scene.
and then there's the usual amount of viscera that goes flying around. there is plenty of action sequences and they are done in such a way that not everything is solved using one trick or the other. i think that's one of the problems with a lot of genre fiction is that the journeymen and journeywomen who make the vast amout of the population of these novels sometimes forget that variety is the spice of life.
and then there is the whole thing about making a franchise. and judging by the nightside section on amazon.ca, i would say that mr. green is selling enough novels to keep his publisher happy enough to keep publishing them.
while these are not deeply personal (that i could tell) novels there are light touches about it that keep it on it's toes. things are held back that will make you want to check out the next book in the series.
and herein likes perhaps my only real grief with the whole first person pov of fiction (and this one is a nicely almost sardonic character). the problem is just this - if he/she is telling the story than the chances are about 90% good that the character survives things so it becomes a bit of a case where the author needs to ratchet up the need for empathy for the supporting characters so that one (presumably the reader and in some cases the armchair critic here) can actually feel the friction of what is going to happen.
and this is another problem with franchises - the first book of the series is something of a pain for a reader who wants stuff to happen - especially when the author wants the story to move along. there is this weird balance (and sometimes it's offkilter) where the author has to give some form of backstory or the reader is lost.
the only issue i have with that is that sometimes it's a bit offkilter. case in point is a conversation between a bartender and mr. taylor's client. too much of the character's backstory out there in front. the author did the best he could by painting it up and all but to someone looking for how a thing is put together it's a bit awkward.
whatever - writers don't generally write for other writers do the? - they should only for themselves and the 'gentle reader'.
and here is where the author shines. there is chockadeep references to characters from other stories. i saw references to zelazny's amber series as well as at least one or two of the worlds of michael moorcock.
make no mistake, this writer knows how to keep interest - there is a deft blend of violence, introspection, witty (or semi witty) banter and just plain out weirdness to keep the reader amused for the few hours it takes to read it. me, it took about four hours all told.
as for franchise - only if i see the collection of the first three books in the series or something would i go through the hassle of paying for them. i'll probably just settle accounts with my librarian and order it through the inter-library loan or something.
how to bottom line this: i would give it an 8 for the fan of fantasy/noir and a 6 for those who like a little bit more meat. if you like genre fiction you might only have a problem or two.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
on the subject of mashups
yeah, mashups.
more of that complicated 'web 2.0' nonsense.
okay, maybe i'm cranky cause i can't sleep so i'm blogging like a fiend when i should be catching dreams.
but the whole thing about mashups is this: they are just another term for the stuff that created musique concrete in the 20's, is the same idea as from the tape beatles, and really is a version of audio found art. [and incidently it's what got a certain dj in hot water with two record labels for mixing it up with jay-z and the beatles)
on the other hand, for someone with adventurous tastes and a bent towards experimentalism there is something to be said for mashing stuff up that doesn't really belong together just to see what is going to come out.
as long as you don't get a 'cease and desist letter' from a corporation decrying fair use and advising the artist that they are in violation of copy right.
anyways.
i'm just glad that i'm not the first one to thing of 'wonderwall' the first time i heard 'boulevard of broken dreams' but this is a nice mashup.
oasis vs. green day vs. aerosmith (with guest appearance by slim shady)
more of that complicated 'web 2.0' nonsense.
okay, maybe i'm cranky cause i can't sleep so i'm blogging like a fiend when i should be catching dreams.
but the whole thing about mashups is this: they are just another term for the stuff that created musique concrete in the 20's, is the same idea as from the tape beatles, and really is a version of audio found art. [and incidently it's what got a certain dj in hot water with two record labels for mixing it up with jay-z and the beatles)
on the other hand, for someone with adventurous tastes and a bent towards experimentalism there is something to be said for mashing stuff up that doesn't really belong together just to see what is going to come out.
as long as you don't get a 'cease and desist letter' from a corporation decrying fair use and advising the artist that they are in violation of copy right.
anyways.
i'm just glad that i'm not the first one to thing of 'wonderwall' the first time i heard 'boulevard of broken dreams' but this is a nice mashup.
oasis vs. green day vs. aerosmith (with guest appearance by slim shady)
brody
is probably the 'new' courtney love.
well, at least until courtney finishes her new album, resurrects hole and they record a new one or whatever.
there is something about her voice though that lingers in my head and reminds me that i'm not so far removed from the days of being the only one in the room with my hair a particular colour and wanting someone to make an issue of it.
aaah youth.
good thing age takes that from us you know?
well, at least until courtney finishes her new album, resurrects hole and they record a new one or whatever.
there is something about her voice though that lingers in my head and reminds me that i'm not so far removed from the days of being the only one in the room with my hair a particular colour and wanting someone to make an issue of it.
aaah youth.
good thing age takes that from us you know?
you want beef with me? trash talk j-lo
yep, you start talking ish about jenny from the block and it'll get ugly in a minute.
and stay ugly. i'm serious.
one of the (mucho) reasons i know i love my amorcita is that we have zero issues about j 2 the l.o.
so this one is for us amorita, big day comin up.
and stay ugly. i'm serious.
one of the (mucho) reasons i know i love my amorcita is that we have zero issues about j 2 the l.o.
so this one is for us amorita, big day comin up.
indigenous voices dying out
i found this sad report from thestar.com about indigenous voices dying out at a rapid pace.
and this is not limited to north america alone, sad to say. there are native voices in siberia, in hawaii even (where according to the article their language was oppressed for nearly a century).
i can't wax eloquent about this because it's just sad.
[update 0635 02.19.07]
i woke up thinking about this and realized that this travesty is a hard one to overcome. the article talks about the 'reclamation' of several languages but, that in itself is hard too. for a language to survive, it needs speakers. for speakers to properly speak a language, one needs a culture.
around the world indigenous cultures are suppressed, oppressed, and systematically destroyed every year. while the 'new world' gold rush has ceased - the continual encrouchment continues. the machinery of genocide continues to this day all around the world - from the endemic exploitation of indigenous lands to the suppression of native voices in public discourse and economic disruption there can be no surprise to see the erosion of native voices, of native culture and most obvious of native tongues from the earth.
i induced this all in a particular way. i know that there are certain things that i cannot express properly in english - the language is incapable of properly communicating concepts or communications in a natural way compared to the precision of spanish. there are similar techniques but none of them approach the deftness of the spanish tongue. ask any spanish speaker the difference between amar y querer and try to figure out how to express that richness in the english language with simlar succintness.
the same is true of this only a hundred times so. when a language dies - a way of viewing the world goes with it. it's the old cliché about an inuit having 100 words for snow. if that were true (and it's somewhat debated 'truism') then it is not anything other than the cultural recognition of over 100 different types of snow.
if we lose that - our world becomes less shiny, less diverse, and more sad.
and this is not limited to north america alone, sad to say. there are native voices in siberia, in hawaii even (where according to the article their language was oppressed for nearly a century).
i can't wax eloquent about this because it's just sad.
[update 0635 02.19.07]
i woke up thinking about this and realized that this travesty is a hard one to overcome. the article talks about the 'reclamation' of several languages but, that in itself is hard too. for a language to survive, it needs speakers. for speakers to properly speak a language, one needs a culture.
around the world indigenous cultures are suppressed, oppressed, and systematically destroyed every year. while the 'new world' gold rush has ceased - the continual encrouchment continues. the machinery of genocide continues to this day all around the world - from the endemic exploitation of indigenous lands to the suppression of native voices in public discourse and economic disruption there can be no surprise to see the erosion of native voices, of native culture and most obvious of native tongues from the earth.
i induced this all in a particular way. i know that there are certain things that i cannot express properly in english - the language is incapable of properly communicating concepts or communications in a natural way compared to the precision of spanish. there are similar techniques but none of them approach the deftness of the spanish tongue. ask any spanish speaker the difference between amar y querer and try to figure out how to express that richness in the english language with simlar succintness.
the same is true of this only a hundred times so. when a language dies - a way of viewing the world goes with it. it's the old cliché about an inuit having 100 words for snow. if that were true (and it's somewhat debated 'truism') then it is not anything other than the cultural recognition of over 100 different types of snow.
if we lose that - our world becomes less shiny, less diverse, and more sad.
from the 'why is cuervo dancing a jig?' dept
from an interview with ellen datlow i find this joyous news of wonderment:
Bill has a new novel called Spook Country coming out this spring
bill in this case is william gibson who, pardon me gushing a bit, is simply just about the most important living writer i have ever read.
ok, i'll just say this - you know the term 'cyberspace'? he invented it. no, really he did. check the link if you don't believe me because this fine upstanding resident of victoria island, b.c. (last time i checked a bio sleeve on one of his books) created the term for his short story 'burning chrome'.
well, it's a late birthday present but this one is worth the wait. i've been pestering the fine folks at coles and indigo for a while now (for those in the states that's the equivalent of barnes and noble south of the 49) because the man produces work at a regular clockwork pace. every two years or so there's a new work. his should have been out around late 2005/early 2006 but, it must be important. usually when he shifts gears it is.
neuromancer has had significant lasting importance for those of us self identified geeks out here. it's the thing that has been in the back of the brains that create things like second life and the like.
so, like the fanboy i am (in japanese the word is otaku and i use it with pride) i head over to the official william gibson website and find this blog entry that makes me nearly weep with joy.
Bill has a new novel called Spook Country coming out this spring
bill in this case is william gibson who, pardon me gushing a bit, is simply just about the most important living writer i have ever read.
ok, i'll just say this - you know the term 'cyberspace'? he invented it. no, really he did. check the link if you don't believe me because this fine upstanding resident of victoria island, b.c. (last time i checked a bio sleeve on one of his books) created the term for his short story 'burning chrome'.
well, it's a late birthday present but this one is worth the wait. i've been pestering the fine folks at coles and indigo for a while now (for those in the states that's the equivalent of barnes and noble south of the 49) because the man produces work at a regular clockwork pace. every two years or so there's a new work. his should have been out around late 2005/early 2006 but, it must be important. usually when he shifts gears it is.
neuromancer has had significant lasting importance for those of us self identified geeks out here. it's the thing that has been in the back of the brains that create things like second life and the like.
so, like the fanboy i am (in japanese the word is otaku and i use it with pride) i head over to the official william gibson website and find this blog entry that makes me nearly weep with joy.
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