Current Configuration

  • Ahhhh. There We Go.

    Deep snow on a row of houses, the street, and car in our neighborhood and still falling

    It’s been a very autumn winter thus far. Now things outside our window feel like they should.

  • Another Headline I Never Could’ve Imagined

    A screen capture of a CNN headline, which reads: Cartoon protesters try to storm U.S. base.

    From CNN’s front page.

    I love reading comics and they mean a lot to me, but I am confused.

  • Lemony Snicket Film Titles

    A carriage falls down a chasm created by two silhouettes of Count Olaf

    A little while ago I promised to discuss the superlative title sequence for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. So, without further ado…

    (more…)

  • Maybe It’s the Bullets Then?

    Gun control has always been a thorny issue for me (not that this makes me unique) because, at a fundamental level, I question the need for our citizenry to be able to arm themselves with weapons designed to maximize human death. But on the other hand, I understand the Constitutional issues and the idea that bearing arms is the only way to get a piece of the monopoly-on-violence pie of which the government has the biggest piece. History teaches us that an armed citizenry needing to overthrow tyrannical rule is not a ridiculous proposal. Hell, in Switzerland everyone has a gun, unless they go through a somewhat difficult process of returning it to the government.* But then something occurred to me today that kind of settled some of the issues for me, and I’d like to run it by you to see if I’m missing anything.

    Has anyone ever heard of a drive-by knife-throwing wherein an adult was the intended target but a child was accidentally hit and killed instead?

    I don’t think you hear about much of that. But, then again, I don’t really listen to the local news that often, so who knows?

    *Though, they have rifles, not handguns or assault rifles, which I have little to no problem with.

  • Kitchen Stories

    A man and a boy with a baby carriage look to the sky in front of a small camper that reads 'HFI'.

    Alisa and I really enjoyed this little Norwegian film about Swedish scientists who travel to Norway to study the kitchen habits of bachelors there (which we rented because Alisa will be living in Oslo for a little while). Of course, to maintain the veracity of the scientific study, the Swedes are meant to not interfere with the men whose kitchens they literally perch. But, as the film demonstrates so well and so sweetly, this is a foolish notion. As the two men we’re focused on try to go about their lives acutely aware of each other, but avoiding direct interaction, the inevitable happens.*

    Kitchen Stories is a like a perfect small slice of key lime pie. It’s short, sweet, and just right. It succeeds because it’s so self-contained and gently focused on doing one thing and hitting all of the right sensations. The story doesn’t tell us anything earth-shattering, it just carefully shows us a wonderful facet of humanity in its own heart-warming way.

    It’s well designed, well acted, well written, and very touching. I recommend it for a weekend evening when you’re looking for a smile and a good story.

    MPAA Review: Mild language

    *There’s a subtext here, as the Norwegians split from Sweden to gain independence, which no doubt irks the Swedes.

  • I’m a Pirate!

    Three metal sign capital Rs. One brushed aluminum, one blue and blocky, one red and geometric grotesque, I think.

    Thanks to Alisa for my belated present. And the chance to make that joke. My collection of capital Rs begins here.

  • But What If You Like Spam?

    Email folders, with ’Spam' replaced with 'Meat Food Product'

    A few days ago, after noticing that Gmail displays links to Spam-based recipes in the sponsored links bar when you’re in the ’Spam’ folder, I began to wonder: how does Hormel, the maker of Spam, feel about its food being associated with the insidious crud of the web and online communication? I also wondered whether Hormel employees are internally forbidden from referring to it as ’spam’. Well, apparently Hormel doesn’t object, for the most part though they stipulate that their product should be denoted as ’SPAM’ and the junk email as ’spam’.

    (more…)

  • Daily Annual: Making Graphic Design Annuals Useful for More Than Emulation

    Graphic design annuals. They are, from what I can tell, a quick way to see what style is popular today, and a largely self-congratulatory resumé builder for design studios. They’re also considered by many to be a visual resource for graphic design professionals and students. However, since the annuals rarely contain any explanation of the project goals, purpose, or degree of success for the client, they’re mainly a style gallery. It always feels a bit like flying a plane over a city to find out about its citizens. And considering how much lip service is paid to ideas and concepts in our field, I’m always a bit surprised by this. Well, not that surprised. The annuals are also cash cows for the magazines, as entry typically requires an entry fee, so packing the magazine with winners increases the likelihood that others will enter for their chance to shine amongst the stars. This situation adds to the self-selecting nature of their showings, as well as the fact that a few judges have to sift through enormous piles of entries. (In fact, this process is so daunting we’re often told by the magazine about how hard it is multiple times.)

    Do I sound a bit snarky and skeptical of design annuals? Well, I am. But a former co-worker friend and I figured out a way to make the most of these industry exercises and bring a degree of depth and exploration to the normally overwhelming and sometimes demoralizing experience of scanning design annuals. The topographic survey of the design annual took on the qualities of an archeological dig as we turned over the earth and held up each find, bringing both of our views to bear to divine something more.

    (more…)

  • Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.0

    Damn. Damn.

    A Viper mark VII heads into a field of explosions around Galactica

    In season 2.0, things get rougher. A lot rougher.

    I admit, about 4 episodes in, I was a bit worried. The show seemed to be fragmenting and the plot looked like it was going to balloon out of control. Plots began to spin off sub-plots and the intrigue of the last episodes of season 1 branched out in unexpected ways (for me, at least).

    I was a bit worried because season 1 was unadulterated sci-fi greatness. I found no flaws in any aspect. I love watching it. BSG is taking TV sci-fi (and on-screen sci-fi in general, arguably) in new directions with a stripped-down, gritty reality that many sci-fi shows eschew for well-oiled super technologies and smoothed-out space societies. Even so, season 2.0 is a different beast. From the intro score to the crushing realities of life in a fleet on the run after global holocaust, this was proving to be a very a different season. But as the episodes progressed and narrative threads split and merged, I think the show came out stronger, if a bit less consistent.

    Spoiler warning: While I avoid revealing too much key information about season 2.0 (the first half of season 2 before the break), I’m going to assume you’ve seen all of season 1 and know the resolution of the Adama plot brought into play in the season finale. If not, read on at your own discretion.

    (more…)

  • Peter Jackson’s King Kong

    King Kong's eyes, giving a mean look.

    I almost forgot to post about this. I saw King Kong over the Christmas weekend and it exceeded my expectations, which were high but wary since I didn’t believe that it could be as good as I was hearing. Much as Michael Mann did with Heat, Jackson is closing the book on King Kong. Message from Jackson to world: “move on, this one is done.” I really don’t think any remake of King Kong would add anything to the narrative. He squeezed every ounce of emotion, depth, and thrill that an earnest telling of this tale could provide.

    (more…)