2:29 PM
Here's the Casa Hotspur and our Snow Pirate, as of last weekend.
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4:29 PM
No big surprises except BEST PICTURE and BEST DOCUMENTARY. Where are Fahrenheidt 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ?
It's amazing what I never have a chance to see during the course of a year... most of these are new to me.
Yes, I admit it; I can't help myself. I like to skitter around the track at 20 miles per on the back of giant egg laying flightless birds. I know it is cruel. But when you have that Ostrich-riding monkey on your back, man, you're just not yourself any more. The bird rides YOU, baby, the bird rides YOU.
I'll never be a professional, like THIS GUY, but I like to keep my hand in, so to speak.
Whoops, gotta go. Time to slop the birds again. You won't believe my corn bills.
As you may or may not know, I'm directing a largish gaming convention in the Spring.
I'm now designing the COLD WARS 2005 con tshirt based upon our historical theme, "From Empires to Isms". It's actually a fun task-- I'm using a new vendor this year, Sun Dog productions (if I can get the cost down that is).
Go HERE
Tell me which design you like. Leave a comment, please.
Thanks! This is important, believe it or not. Short fused...
This site had me larfing loud and long...
Note Bene: slightly risque' and for adults only (albeit no nudity)
Click on the faces to see the movies... the best reason to go to TV!
(Note: Quick Time *.mov files)
Anyone growing up in a Catholic School environment (or dated a girl who did) will appreciate this...
I know I should feel cruel about bringing this up. I know it's un-Christian and perverse to dwell on another's downfall with glee, but what the hell, I've always been suceptible to Schadenfreude. Ashlee Simpson, the no-talent prefabbed clown of the equally no-talent prefabbed (but more attractive) clown Jessica Simpson, recently was booed off the stage at the Orange Bowl. Many of us gloated at the Saturday Night Live gaffe, where she flubbed her lipsynching in a spectacularly embarassing manner. I have to give her some credit for taking another stab at 'live' performance at the Orange Bowl. Not particularly smart, but it took guts to try. The outcome was, again, embarassing. Determined not to lip-synch, the audience was treated to the dulcet tones of Ashlee's unadulterated pipes. 5 minutes into her screeching performance, the audience erupted into loud booing and jeering. Should have stuck with the lip-synch.
Don't take my word for it. See the whole nasty episode here.
Normally, I could give a damn. I could have lived my whole life without ever having Ashlee or her bimbo sibling ever entering my radar scope. I just care that little. As ridiculous as this incident is, it does bring into focus the glaring hypocrisy and chicanery of public consumption of mass-produced entertainment. What happened to having a sense of pride? I remember when people had some sense of shame about mistakes. Remember that great film, QUIZ SHOW (1994)? That was a real story. One of the protaganists, Charles Van Doren, was fed the answers in advance. He was caught. He confessed publically. And we NEVER heard from him again. No tell-all book, no spectacular comeback. Van Doren was humiliated, and he never sought to make a buck from it again. You may not like what he did but he paid the price for it. That was demonstrable integrity. Can you imagine Martha Stewart becoming a recluse when she emerges from prison in a few short months?
Didn't think so. Should we be surprised that Ashlee Simpson can so blithely sail through life telling lies, getting caught, and still hanging around?
Freas' citation in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction:
As for me, I met Kelly Freas at a DISCLAVE convention back in the mid-80s. He was quirky, funny, incredibly energetic, and extremely accessible. I can't claim to have known him personally other than having been amused to meet the guy who had been drawing all the great cover illos of WIERD TALES over the years. Still, I'll miss him, like I miss all connections with the past. A true gent who will be not easily be replaced.
The Frank Kelly Freas website
It's amazing what I never have a chance to see during the course of a year... most of these are new to me.
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ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY Jamie Foxx - RAY ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY Clive Owen - CLOSER ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Annette Bening - BEING JULIA Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR Laura Linney - KINSEY Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA Natalie Portman - CLOSER ANIMATED FEATURE FILM THE INCREDIBLES SHARK TALE SHREK 2 ART DIRECTION THE AVIATOR FINDING NEVERLAND LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT CINEMATOGRAPHY THE AVIATOR HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT COSTUME DESIGN THE AVIATOR FINDING NEVERLAND LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS RAY TROY DIRECTING THE AVIATOR MILLION DOLLAR BABY RAY SIDEWAYS VERA DRAKE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE BORN INTO BROTHELS THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL SUPER SIZE ME TUPAC: RESURRECTION TWIST OF FAITH DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT AUTISM IS A WORLD THE CHILDREN OF LENINGRADSKY HARDWOOD MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH SISTER ROSE'S PASSION FILM EDITING THE AVIATOR COLLATERAL FINDING NEVERLAND MILLION DOLLAR BABY RAY FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM AS IT IS IN HEAVEN THE CHORUS DOWNFALL THE SEA INSIDE YESTERDAY MAKEUP LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST THE SEA INSIDE MUSIC (SCORE) FINDING NEVERLAND HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST THE VILLAGE MUSIC (SONG) "Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2 "Al Otro Lado Del RÃo" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES "Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS "Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA "Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS BEST PICTURE THE AVIATOR FINDING NEVERLAND MILLION DOLLAR BABY RAY SIDEWAYS SHORT FILM (ANIMATED) BIRTHDAY BOY GOPHER BROKE GUARD DOG LORENZO RYAN SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION) EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY MUST LITTLE TERRORIST 7:35 IN THE MORNING TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT WASP SOUND EDITING THE INCREDIBLES THE POLAR EXPRESS SPIDER-MAN 2 SOUND MIXING THE AVIATOR THE INCREDIBLES THE POLAR EXPRESS RAY SPIDER-MAN 2 VISUAL EFFECTS HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN I, ROBOT SPIDER-MAN 2 WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY) BEFORE SUNSET FINDING NEVERLAND MILLION DOLLAR BABY THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES SIDEWAYS WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) THE AVIATOR ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND HOTEL RWANDA THE INCREDIBLES VERA DRAKE |
2:58 PM
I discovered a web service that allows you to put a virtual push-pin into a map when you visit a site. I thought that was a pretty nifty idea, and have implemented it here. If you have a moment, click on that "Place a Pin" button in the top left hand corner, wouldya?
1:41 PM
Thanks to an online bud (Pudgym, who prefers to remain anonymous) I got turned on to this discussion about peer to peer networking abuse on a great new dirty humor site called UBERSITE.
Link to story
The link above will take you to Ubersite and the chart of download responses. Pretty hysterical!
Link to story
I think just about anyone who meets me and talks to me for long enough comes to terms with the fact that I am a very sick, twisted person. Also factor in a few mountain dews, a Peer-to-Peer connection, and boredom and you get what might be the funniest combination imaginable. I had been downloading music yesterday evening. Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon, Flock of Seagulls, things like that. Then I realized that it'd be a funny joke to play on people if I were to change "Keep on Rolling" to "Hot Lesbian Sex". I watched as within minutes this file got 50 downloads. I was astounded. Then the Tom got an idea. An awful idea. The Tom got a wonderful awful idea. What if, perhaps, I was to change some of these names to sick pornography titles? I wonder if I'd get any bites? And this is where the fun begins. The first title I put up was "Naked boys dancing and eating cake." I sat in anticipation, waiting for my first download. Success, the first download came. Then the second. Then the third. This baby was steamrolling down the information super highway like a trucker with a hardon that has 2 miles left to the next truck stop. Before I knew it, I was getting twenty downloads. Then thirty. Then fifty. Can you imagine that in the end, rather than getting dancing boys naked and indulging themselves with sweets and frolicking in a dewy meadow, one-hundred thirty two people got a disappointing video of Led Zeppelin performing "Dazed and Confused" in front of a live audience? At this point, I had no choice but to continue. The second title I put up was "My Ex-Girlfriend mowing the lawn naked." I thought that this was too far out to get any downloads. Alas, I was wrong. It got a download. Then two. Then thirty. In the end, seventy-eight sweaty, drooling fucks wanted to see my ex girlfriend mow the lawn stark naked. She's not even that hot. Rather then get their lawn-mowing beauty, they got the song "Ozone baby." For the third title, I decided to transform "White Wedding" into the more intriguing "Elephant cock horse." I wish I could say I was kidding when this thing was downloaded one hundred eighty seven times. I guess there is something about horses and elephants showing their cocks that bring out the best in people. I nearly died of laughter at this point. "How can nearly two hundred people want to see naked animals? They're ALWAYS naked!" For sanctity's sake, we're going to leave this as a mystery. I hope I turned some people on to Billy Idol, hopefully distracting them long enough to forget that masturbating to horse and elephant genitalia are not really something their mothers would be proud of. I couldn't stop myself from doing another. "Grandma Bingo Sex." Short and sweet. I couldn't stop myself from amusing.........myself..... "Grandma Bingo Sex." Surely not a common scenario, and surely not a scenario that would arouse many a twisted psyche. Apparently I know nothing about the human psyche. One hundred twenty two. ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO PEOPLE would like to see grandma getting bent over the bingo table, game card in hand, getting donkey punched by a 90 year old addle brained porn star. I rubbed my eyes just to double check. My eyes had to be lying to my brain. My penis had shriveled to the size of a 2 day old Wendys chicken nugget. They asked for Grandma. They got Joan Jett. At this point I had to start taking puffs of my albuteral inhaler to keep from suffocating myself with laughter. "Girl on girl toe insertion (LEGAL)" was my next proud creation. Everyone likes 38 Special, so everyone won't feel like such dumb-asses after downloading this footy piece of shit. Never underestimate the inertia traveling behind a toe inserting itself into a rectum, friends. It's like a fucking semi hurling down Interstate 40 in the noonday sun. One hundred twelve people wanted to jerk to this. God have mercy on us. At this point, for some odd reason, the user name "Enraged Baboon" popped into my head. "Enraged Baboon fucking a nipple factory." No way in hell would this get many downloads. Who could possibly type in any or all of those keywords? I guess people like seeing sweaty red-ass baboons, nostrils flaring, banging their chests like Marky Mark in the movie "Fear", having sex WITH each other in a factory that produces baby-bottle nipples. Imagine what those children would look like. One hundred seventy two people typed those magic words into Limewire, and got a hot steaming pile of monkey love. Well, it was Pink Floyd, but a man can dream, cant he? This could all seem very disturbing. My final experiment, however, made me dizzy as my precious sack retreated into my pelvis. ...THREE PEOPLE...three disgusting, drooling, perverted, fucked up people, wielding a box of Puffs Plus and a tube of Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, bright eyed and bushy tailed, wanted to see "An emu taking a vicious dump." How does one take a VICIOUS dump and how does an EMU take one, for that matter? Ladies and gentlemen: this is why I have lost every last ounce of faith in humanity. |
The link above will take you to Ubersite and the chart of download responses. Pretty hysterical!
10:36 AM
I found yet another decent photo hosting service-- IMAGESHACK. It's another upload without logging in site, with surprisngly few bells and whistles. Here's Spawn and myself (young Master G) playing CHESS and POLARIS last night.
Searching for Bobby Fisher!
Young Gar plays a suprisingly aggressive game of chess. Here I am trying to teach him the rudiments of the Philidor defense and the Ruy Lopez.
Spawn knows when he is being patronized and doesn't like me to go easy on him.
We also played PROTEUS, a keeno chess-like game using special dice that promote or demote from PAWN->KNIGHT->BISHOP->ROOK->QUEEN and back down to a PYRAMID. The pyramid stays immobile and gets you no points-- it also stays a Pyramid once you turn it into one. The Pawn is 1, the Knight 3, the Bishop 4, Rook 5 and Queen = 6 points (all if captured.. and you can't capture a Pyramid).
I didn't go easy on Gar, and he took a few pieces, but ended up checkmated. He likes Chess... there's hope!
Steve Jackson Games, the guys who make Proteus and Knightmare Chess, also have a free online chessboard for you to print out and play with.
Searching for Bobby Fisher!
Young Gar plays a suprisingly aggressive game of chess. Here I am trying to teach him the rudiments of the Philidor defense and the Ruy Lopez.
Spawn knows when he is being patronized and doesn't like me to go easy on him.
We also played PROTEUS, a keeno chess-like game using special dice that promote or demote from PAWN->KNIGHT->BISHOP->ROOK->QUEEN and back down to a PYRAMID. The pyramid stays immobile and gets you no points-- it also stays a Pyramid once you turn it into one. The Pawn is 1, the Knight 3, the Bishop 4, Rook 5 and Queen = 6 points (all if captured.. and you can't capture a Pyramid).
I didn't go easy on Gar, and he took a few pieces, but ended up checkmated. He likes Chess... there's hope!
Steve Jackson Games, the guys who make Proteus and Knightmare Chess, also have a free online chessboard for you to print out and play with.
11:48 AM
I changed the look and feel because my parchment style template was screwing up and not aligning text on the sidebar correctly. This was the only template I could find that works.
H.
H.
9:45 AM
41-27
My prediction last week: "I suspect the Pats will win, but only by very little, like three points"
Egad, bite MY tongue.
That was an amazing game to watch, on both sides. Lots of big, big plays and dramatic down-the-field ball tossing. My, my...
The Pats had a more active defense, to be sure. Weren't the Steelers favored to win? You'd think so... Snicker...
Read: Justin's predictions.. and Lendevours... and these guys...
The great Karnacki (topical reference, topical reference!) opens the envelope and predicts... The Pats all over the Eagles like stink on a Jacksonville pig. McNabb is one HELL of a quarterback but the Eagles didn't even look like they were playing the same game that Brady was playing.
My daughter, btw, is quite put out about the whole thing. Her teacher is from Pittsburgh and gives the class a homework free Monday night if the Steelers win a football game.. you can imagine how happy Annie has been with Pittsburgh's 15-0 record this year.
A nice bit of NFL Spankage today.. but no big surprises for me.
My prediction last week: "I suspect the Pats will win, but only by very little, like three points"
Egad, bite MY tongue.
That was an amazing game to watch, on both sides. Lots of big, big plays and dramatic down-the-field ball tossing. My, my...
The Pats had a more active defense, to be sure. Weren't the Steelers favored to win? You'd think so... Snicker...
Read: Justin's predictions.. and Lendevours... and these guys...
The great Karnacki (topical reference, topical reference!) opens the envelope and predicts... The Pats all over the Eagles like stink on a Jacksonville pig. McNabb is one HELL of a quarterback but the Eagles didn't even look like they were playing the same game that Brady was playing.
My daughter, btw, is quite put out about the whole thing. Her teacher is from Pittsburgh and gives the class a homework free Monday night if the Steelers win a football game.. you can imagine how happy Annie has been with Pittsburgh's 15-0 record this year.
A nice bit of NFL Spankage today.. but no big surprises for me.
1:43 PM
Somewhat dated.
This is Aaron Haag's take on the recent "Spielfest" that takes place annually in Essen, Germany.
I've always wanted to go to this. Maybe some day. Sigh.
Lots of cool "first looks" on early 2005 releases.
This is Aaron Haag's take on the recent "Spielfest" that takes place annually in Essen, Germany.
I've always wanted to go to this. Maybe some day. Sigh.
Lots of cool "first looks" on early 2005 releases.
5:22 PM
Yes, I admit it; I can't help myself. I like to skitter around the track at 20 miles per on the back of giant egg laying flightless birds. I know it is cruel. But when you have that Ostrich-riding monkey on your back, man, you're just not yourself any more. The bird rides YOU, baby, the bird rides YOU.
I'll never be a professional, like THIS GUY, but I like to keep my hand in, so to speak.
Whoops, gotta go. Time to slop the birds again. You won't believe my corn bills.
5:04 PM
It's either this one, or the red "Sport Swirl", so my loyal viewers tell me. Not that anyone reading this BLOG gives a damn..
Sniff.
I may go with Green. It just works with that revolutionary theme, don't you think?
Sniff.
I may go with Green. It just works with that revolutionary theme, don't you think?
4:42 PM
There he Goes!
I'm not a huge fan of the President. I think he's a decent chap, but really a good ol boy that's way over his head. And he's made some bad decisions in the name of vengeance, the Iraq thing being a big one. Still, I don't think he's evil, or a tool, or the focal point of a vast conspiracy. So I wished him well today, and he came through. The Inaugural Ceremony was dignified, short and very classy. W delivered a good (not great) speech-- the words were well-crafted but he only gets a B from me for delivery. (More emotion, Mister President!)
In a larger sense, the Inauguration of George W. Bush is only half of the story. The other half is what has me (and many others) tuning in every year to watch the thing. It's pride... pride that we can change our government over, every four years, without bodies in ditches, secret death squads, and people disappearing in the night. I've been to places like that. They make you appreciate what you have.
To W: So congratualations, Mister President, I wish you well for the next four years, because (I hope) that means that I'm wishing the country well.
Suggestions: remember where you came from, sir. We're a free country, or like to pretend we are. Go easy on the right to privacy. The Patriot Act is NOT a good "tool". Lots of us view it as a threat to fundamental liberties enjoyed by all citizens. Even law-abiding people with nothing to hide, like me. And leave some part of the wilderness for our grandkids to play in, will you?
Last and most important. You once promised that the United States wouldn't indulge in Nation Building (campaign speech, 2000). Try to live up to that. Read your history. Read about American involvement in the Carribean and Latin America from 1900 to the late 1930s, and what happened afterward. LEARN. Note the parallels with Iraq and other places.
Might I suggest a very HARD LOOK at the intelligence community that fed you what you went to war for?
Stay with it.. I think you're a decent person and can become a pretty good president if you work on it. Don't trust everything you read, now!
H.
1:03 PM
THE BIG SHIRT DECISION
As you may or may not know, I'm directing a largish gaming convention in the Spring.
I'm now designing the COLD WARS 2005 con tshirt based upon our historical theme, "From Empires to Isms". It's actually a fun task-- I'm using a new vendor this year, Sun Dog productions (if I can get the cost down that is).
Go HERE
Tell me which design you like. Leave a comment, please.
Thanks! This is important, believe it or not. Short fused...
9:44 AM
Garrett's religious artwork. I name it "JitterChrist" in honor of the more infamous Piss Christ by Andres Serrano.
Cuz coffee gives ya the jitters, git it?
Cuz coffee gives ya the jitters, git it?
9:33 AM
12:36 PM
In my ceaseless quest to find something on the net for free, I've discoverd FLICKR, a photo posting service. Unlike some of the ones I've found lately, Flickr allows permanent storage. I'm sure they have an angle that I haven't found yet, but Like what I see.
9:48 AM
I got these in the email over the course of a week (and answered them all, to the best of my ability).
The question one might ask, though, is where are the designers of these games? How do you support something that's long dead? A community effort? Seems like that's the future.
I'm not complaining about the emails, btw... it's actually quite flattering that anyone would ask my opinion about something I've had nothing to do with publishing or designing.
| I
have to say, this was one of my favorite games back in high school, and my brothers and I played it often. We talked over Christmas about playing again via email, and I stumbled across the Revolt on Antares Cyberboard page you created. I've heard of Cyberboard before and even have it installed, but never used it. Can you tell me briefly how it works with a game like this? Will it actually roll dice, let you draw from a pool of tiles/counters/etc., enforce any game rules, and so on? Just trying to gauge how much I would have to do "outside the PC" to run this game. |
| I
must be missing something. In setting up the Olympica advanced scenario, why wouldn't I put the Web Generator at the end of a 4-hex Deep Tunnel, and pack the tunnel with infantry?Every tunnel hex has to be Close Assaulted and can only be Close Assaulted once a turn. A Close Assault only has a 1/3 chance to dislodge the enemy (a bit less, actually). The UN will almost certainly run out of time before they reach the Generator at the end of the tunnel! Why doesn't everyone do this? |
| I was thinking about acquiring
the wargame Mantanikau off of Ebay. I downloaded the game rules, but the rules seem a bit sketchy; there is no explanation of what is to transpire during game turns. It seems one has to have a main "Tactical Combat Series" game rules, and games like Mantanikau are just a supplement to the main rules. Is this correct? If not, why are the rules so vague and seemingly incomplete? |
The question one might ask, though, is where are the designers of these games? How do you support something that's long dead? A community effort? Seems like that's the future.
I'm not complaining about the emails, btw... it's actually quite flattering that anyone would ask my opinion about something I've had nothing to do with publishing or designing.
9:12 AM
A Sad Announcement in the POST
This is truly a time of flux... it seems like all the institutions I grew up with are rapidly falling away.
I peripherally worked in radio (in the Einstein era) and had opportunity to meet with the folks over at HFS many times. In fact, one of the old DJs (Sharree? the distinctivly voiced african american woman) made off with a treasured album of mine, the Shaggs' PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD, which I loaned her to play on the air. And she did, many times.
It was that kind of place. The kind of place where a DJ with a speech impediement could have a fair shake (so what if he was the owner's son? He was great!), or a DJ with a high nasel falsetto instead of the phoney-baloney Ryan Seacrest radio voice would become a cult figure (Weasel, now working an oldies station in the area-- if that's not a sure sign of the apocolypse of radio, I don't know what is).
It was that kind of place.
Back when there was a music scene in DC, it was WHFS that fostered it, dutifully tramping out to basement bars to introduce acts or run little music festivals. Stuff that other DJs would turn their noses up at.
We're witnesing another victim of the Clear Channel borg-ification of radio. We won't see their like again.
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WHFS Changes Its Tune to Spanish Alternative Rock Pioneer Targets Latino Audience By Teresa Wiltz and Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, January 13, 2005; Page A01 WHFS-FM, the Washington area radio station that was a pioneering purveyor of alternative rock to generations of young music fans, did a programming U-turn yesterday by ditching the genre for a Spanish-language, pop-music format that transforms it into the largest Spanish-language station on the local dial. In an instant, the station abandoned the likes of the White Stripes, Green Day and Jet for middle-of-the-road superstars such as Marc Anthony, Juan Luis Guerra and Victor Manuelle. The switch reflects both changing demographics and a corporate war of attrition involving Washington's two major radio station owners, Infinity Broadcasting, which owns WHFS, and Clear Channel Communications, which owns WHFS's chief competitor, DC-101. Despite its self-proclaimed "legendary" status, WHFS (at 99.1 on the dial) has long trailed DC-101 in the race to win the ears of rock listeners in the Washington-Baltimore area. At the same time, Spanish-language radio is the fastest-growing format in the country, while alternative rock radio is a withering niche. At noon yesterday, the station behind the HFStival, a popular annual concert, broadcast the late Jeff Buckley's 1995 hit, "Last Goodbye." And then came something that WHFS listeners hadn't heard before in the station's 36-year history as the arbiter of cutting-edge rock: "WHFS transmitiendo desde la ciudad capital de America: "Esta! Es! Tu! Nueva! Radio!" "Transmitting from America's Capital City: This! Is! Your! New! Radio!" Lanham-based WHFS is now "El Zol," where they're "siempre de fiesta" -- always partying. (Zol plays off sol, the Spanish word for sun, and is a station brand of the Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. which owns other "Zol" stations.) Although radio insiders have discussed the likelihood of WHFS changing formats for many months, the switch came as a shock to former employees and fans who grew up listening to the radio station that, since the late 1960s, had gained a reputation as the place to go for new music. Radio stations often switch formats and often without promoting the change in advance. WHFS was among a handful of stations that developed the album-oriented format: The music was alternative and free-form, featuring such groups as Led Zeppelin, the Who and Yes, but with the occasional bluegrass or other unexpected ditty. Disc jockeys weren't confined to the strictures of a corporate-mandated playlist. They played what they wanted. Out of this freewheeling approach came the station's music festival, which grew from an offbeat spring event to a nationally recognized bacchanalia that last year drew 65,000 people to RFK Stadium. "Certainly this will have major ramifications for new music in Washington, D.C.," said Seth Hurwitz, owner of the city's 9:30 club and producer of last year's HFStival, with featured 36 acts. "They were always the forerunner for presenting new music," said Hurwitz, who began his career in 1976 as a disc jockey at the station. "They were a vital fabric of Washington's culture." WHFS began as a classical music station, then switched to pop music in the early-to-mid-1960s before turning to rock about 1968. The moves were orchestrated by Jake Einstein, who began as an advertising salesman and became one of the station's owners in the mid-1960s. Einstein's son, Damian, a longtime on-air personality on WHFS, said yesterday that the station's reputation as a maverick programmer began to decline more than a decade ago, at the beginning of a rapid consolidation of ownership in the industry. "They really weren't interested in the music anymore," said Einstein, who was one of WHFS's best-known personalities and who is now the program director at WRNR-FM, a small alternative rock station in Annapolis. "There really wasn't that much creativity there. Having been there for so long and having done so many things there, of course it's sad. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do." Doing what they've got to do includes wooing the Latino radio market, the fastest growing in the business. The audience of Spanish-language stations has grown 37 percent since 1998 and currently accounts for about 9 percent of all listeners. (Some radio experts believe that this understates the actual audience, as it does not take into account the large numbers of undocumented Latinos for whom the radio is a vital source of information.) In 2003, Latin album sales increased 16 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In the Washington area, the Hispanic population has grown more than 25 percent in the last four years, Infinity says. "El Zol's" playlist is aimed at the region's largely Central American population, featuring Caribbean and Central American dance music, mostly salsa, merengue and bachata. The station will target radio's "money demographic": Adults ages 25 to 54. Washington has five other radio stations aimed at Spanish speakers: WBZS-FM, WPLC-FM and WKDL-AM, all owned by Mega Broadcasting; WILC-AM, owned by ZGS Broadcasting; and WACA-AM, owned by Entrevision. Spanish-language radio programs have scored some notable successes in recent years. In New York, "La Mega" (WSKQ-FM) has a morning show that frequently trumps Howard Stern in the quarterly Arbitron ratings, according to Seth Rosen, media director for Reynardus and Moya, a New York-based advertising agency that caters to the Latino market. The Viacom media conglomerate owns Infinity Broadcasting, which in turn also owns Washington area stations WPGC-FM and AM, WARW-FM and WJFK-FM. Recently, it has been flipping some of its weaker-performing stations across the country to a Spanish-language format, reflecting an industry trend. The switches have been prompted by Infinity's alliance with the Spanish Broadcasting System Inc., the nation's largest Latino-controlled radio broadcasting company. Infinity owns an equity interest in the Florida-based company, which served as a consultant on the WHFS reformatting. "We did extensive research about the Washington, D.C., market," said Infinity spokeswoman Karen Mateo. "We realized there was a void there for approximately 10 percent of the market." The switch leaves the futures of WHFS's on-air personalities and other employees in question. Although Infinity has not announced personnel changes, insiders speculate that the station's most popular personalities, the Sports Junkies, will probably be reassigned to WJFK-FM. No decision has been made about the future of HFStival, Mateo said. Despite the arrival last year of Lisa Worden, a highly touted programming director, WHFS's progress in the ratings has been slow. The station ranked 20th overall in the most recent Arbitron audience survey, and ninth among its key target audience -- listeners 18 to 34. WHFS's demise as a rock station will likely benefit its chief rival, DC-101, but could also help more pop-oriented music stations such as Z104-FM and Hot 99.5, said Jim Farley, a veteran of Washington radio who is a vice president of WTOP, the all-news station. WTOP's owner, Bonneville International, also owns Z104; Clear Channel owns Hot 99.5, as well as DC-101. "HFS is an institution around here, but the station has been struggling for a while," said Joe Howard, Washington bureau chief for Radio & Records, a research and analysis firm that also produces an industry magazine. "I think Infinity saw this as an opportunity to attack an underserved market." Staff writer Sean Daly contributed to this report. © 2005 The Washington Post Company |
This is truly a time of flux... it seems like all the institutions I grew up with are rapidly falling away.
I peripherally worked in radio (in the Einstein era) and had opportunity to meet with the folks over at HFS many times. In fact, one of the old DJs (Sharree? the distinctivly voiced african american woman) made off with a treasured album of mine, the Shaggs' PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD, which I loaned her to play on the air. And she did, many times.
It was that kind of place. The kind of place where a DJ with a speech impediement could have a fair shake (so what if he was the owner's son? He was great!), or a DJ with a high nasel falsetto instead of the phoney-baloney Ryan Seacrest radio voice would become a cult figure (Weasel, now working an oldies station in the area-- if that's not a sure sign of the apocolypse of radio, I don't know what is).
It was that kind of place.
Back when there was a music scene in DC, it was WHFS that fostered it, dutifully tramping out to basement bars to introduce acts or run little music festivals. Stuff that other DJs would turn their noses up at.
We're witnesing another victim of the Clear Channel borg-ification of radio. We won't see their like again.
11:42 AM
Move over, Penn and Teller. There's a new sherrif in town.
4:24 PM
Or an IHOP, even.
These will disappear in 30 days. If you don't see an image, let me know and I'll delete this thing.
These will disappear in 30 days. If you don't see an image, let me know and I'll delete this thing.
2:50 PM
For those of you not in the know, I'm all about games-- little lead men being pushed around, boardgames with pieces and paper, games with cards, games with computers (less so), games played on the Internet, party games played with packs of hysterical drunken people, roleplaying games that challenge the imagination to make a world.
Lewis Pulcipher is a big chicken in the henhouse of my world. He designed a game called BRITANNIA, which is sort of a game like diplomacy but it's about the development of civilization in Great Britain. Not really MY cup of tea, but lots of people like it. I respect him.
In any event, he had lots to say about the boardgaming industry these days, on his website recently. Here are the salient points.
GAMES ARE DIFFERENT THESE DAYS (versus the 'heyday' of the early 1980s, when I was growing up) BECAUSE...
1. Many people who prefer complex games have moved to computer games.
2. People are much more visually oriented than in the early 80s
3. People are much less word-oriented (which is related to being more visual, but not quite the same thing)
4. Young people are much less competent mathematically.
5. Attention spans are much shorter in many young people.
6. Many younger people nowadays appear to do things to "kill time", rather than from any inherent interest in the activity.
7. Many young people simply haven't been exposed to board wargames.
8. The effects of the "cult of the new".
9. Differences between generations (Gen X vs. Baby Boomers, etc.)
10. "age of instant gratification"
11. Boardgames take much more effort to learn how to play (and you need other players, too)
12. Video games we see a movement away from complexity of play.
Comments, copyright 2005 Lewis Pulciper, all rights reserved, from his website.
I agree with a lot of this, but NOT all of it. For one thing, I would not say that kids are less gifted mathematically today. And I grew up in the 80s... there just wasn't that many distractions available to me back then.. the hot video system was ATARI (Pong). The only affordable home PC was the TRS 80, and that was almost entirely text based. There was a lot of video tech available but at a high price (remember when video rental places were big business? We had something called EROLS in my area back then... it was a HUGE force on the local consumer market).
On the gripping hand, there's much here that I WOULD agree with, especially the high degree of nihilism, indifference and 'attitude' I see in the generations that followed mine.
Lewis Pulcipher is a big chicken in the henhouse of my world. He designed a game called BRITANNIA, which is sort of a game like diplomacy but it's about the development of civilization in Great Britain. Not really MY cup of tea, but lots of people like it. I respect him.
In any event, he had lots to say about the boardgaming industry these days, on his website recently. Here are the salient points.
GAMES ARE DIFFERENT THESE DAYS (versus the 'heyday' of the early 1980s, when I was growing up) BECAUSE...
1. Many people who prefer complex games have moved to computer games.
2. People are much more visually oriented than in the early 80s
3. People are much less word-oriented (which is related to being more visual, but not quite the same thing)
4. Young people are much less competent mathematically.
5. Attention spans are much shorter in many young people.
6. Many younger people nowadays appear to do things to "kill time", rather than from any inherent interest in the activity.
7. Many young people simply haven't been exposed to board wargames.
8. The effects of the "cult of the new".
9. Differences between generations (Gen X vs. Baby Boomers, etc.)
10. "age of instant gratification"
11. Boardgames take much more effort to learn how to play (and you need other players, too)
12. Video games we see a movement away from complexity of play.
Comments, copyright 2005 Lewis Pulciper, all rights reserved, from his website.
I agree with a lot of this, but NOT all of it. For one thing, I would not say that kids are less gifted mathematically today. And I grew up in the 80s... there just wasn't that many distractions available to me back then.. the hot video system was ATARI (Pong). The only affordable home PC was the TRS 80, and that was almost entirely text based. There was a lot of video tech available but at a high price (remember when video rental places were big business? We had something called EROLS in my area back then... it was a HUGE force on the local consumer market).
On the gripping hand, there's much here that I WOULD agree with, especially the high degree of nihilism, indifference and 'attitude' I see in the generations that followed mine.
4:46 PM
This site had me larfing loud and long...
Note Bene: slightly risque' and for adults only (albeit no nudity)
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| "I have a future" | "Boys can Wait" |
Click on the faces to see the movies... the best reason to go to TV!
(Note: Quick Time *.mov files)
Anyone growing up in a Catholic School environment (or dated a girl who did) will appreciate this...
12:56 PM
Politically, the only thing Jon Stewart and I agree upon is how bad a job Bush is doing. However, I have to give him his props... he RAVAGED those human scrotebags on CNN's CROSSFIRE, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson, and those smarmy, grinning, self-congratulating assholes deserve every bit of it. Paradoxically, CNN decided to dump the show shortly thereafter. Is there a connection? DUH! Read on and judge for yourself!
Note Bene, this is very long, but it is hysterical.
There's a video of this exchange on IFILM, as well as a followup broadcast on the Daily Show.
DISCLAIMER: CROSSFIRE IS A PRODUCT OF CNN Corporation and these quotes are COPYRIGHT, CNN Corporation, who owns all rights thereto. Presented under the Fair Use act.
Note Bene, this is very long, but it is hysterical.
(APPLAUSE) |
There's a video of this exchange on IFILM, as well as a followup broadcast on the Daily Show.
DISCLAIMER: CROSSFIRE IS A PRODUCT OF CNN Corporation and these quotes are COPYRIGHT, CNN Corporation, who owns all rights thereto. Presented under the Fair Use act.
10:02 AM
I know I should feel cruel about bringing this up. I know it's un-Christian and perverse to dwell on another's downfall with glee, but what the hell, I've always been suceptible to Schadenfreude. Ashlee Simpson, the no-talent prefabbed clown of the equally no-talent prefabbed (but more attractive) clown Jessica Simpson, recently was booed off the stage at the Orange Bowl. Many of us gloated at the Saturday Night Live gaffe, where she flubbed her lipsynching in a spectacularly embarassing manner. I have to give her some credit for taking another stab at 'live' performance at the Orange Bowl. Not particularly smart, but it took guts to try. The outcome was, again, embarassing. Determined not to lip-synch, the audience was treated to the dulcet tones of Ashlee's unadulterated pipes. 5 minutes into her screeching performance, the audience erupted into loud booing and jeering. Should have stuck with the lip-synch.
Don't take my word for it. See the whole nasty episode here.
Normally, I could give a damn. I could have lived my whole life without ever having Ashlee or her bimbo sibling ever entering my radar scope. I just care that little. As ridiculous as this incident is, it does bring into focus the glaring hypocrisy and chicanery of public consumption of mass-produced entertainment. What happened to having a sense of pride? I remember when people had some sense of shame about mistakes. Remember that great film, QUIZ SHOW (1994)? That was a real story. One of the protaganists, Charles Van Doren, was fed the answers in advance. He was caught. He confessed publically. And we NEVER heard from him again. No tell-all book, no spectacular comeback. Van Doren was humiliated, and he never sought to make a buck from it again. You may not like what he did but he paid the price for it. That was demonstrable integrity. Can you imagine Martha Stewart becoming a recluse when she emerges from prison in a few short months?
Didn't think so. Should we be surprised that Ashlee Simpson can so blithely sail through life telling lies, getting caught, and still hanging around?
12:05 PM
Passing of a Giant
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Frank Kelly Freas passed away over the weekend. If you're not aware of his contributions to popular culture, then you probably haven't picked up a science fiction paperback book, seen a fantasy/sf movie, or read a sf magazine in a long time. Kelly Freas was one of the most prolific, talented and generous illustrators in modern SF. His work transcended science fiction into the commercial arena many times-- his illustration of a giant robot was the cover of a popular QUEEN album, for instance, and he was a popular magazine illustrator. His lasting contribution, however, will be as a cover artist for the classic pulp style science fiction and fantasy magazines, some of which are still around today (Analog, Asimovs, etc.). |
Freas' citation in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction:
Frank Kelly Freas is universally recognized as one of the most prolific and popular science fiction and fantasy artists in the world. His distinguished career spans fifty years from painting covers for Astounding Science Fiction and Planet Stories in the 1950's, to visualizing the most current concepts in science fiction illustration, gaming, and motion picture concepts, as evidenced by his winning the readers' poll award from Analog Magazine for Best Cover of the Year in 1991, two Chesley Awards [1990 and 1997] and the Writers of the Future Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. In 2000 Freas was elected a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists. |
As for me, I met Kelly Freas at a DISCLAVE convention back in the mid-80s. He was quirky, funny, incredibly energetic, and extremely accessible. I can't claim to have known him personally other than having been amused to meet the guy who had been drawing all the great cover illos of WIERD TALES over the years. Still, I'll miss him, like I miss all connections with the past. A true gent who will be not easily be replaced.
The Frank Kelly Freas website
9:38 AM
Not really a toy in the toy cam sense (I will link to a toy camera blog, shortly, you will see!). But I'm really digging the little digital camera in the back of my Palm Zire 72. Here's a few shots I got recently...
Garrett (Spawn) gets a haircut in the kitchen
Cranes in the mist
The Lady Hotspur in Rennaissance Fair Gear
All taken with a handheld Palm Zire 72 "James Bond" camera, handheld and on the fly.
I took the pictures of the cranes on the way to work today. They looked like giant robots flailing about in the mist. Cool...
Garrett (Spawn) gets a haircut in the kitchen
Cranes in the mist
The Lady Hotspur in Rennaissance Fair Gear
All taken with a handheld Palm Zire 72 "James Bond" camera, handheld and on the fly.
I took the pictures of the cranes on the way to work today. They looked like giant robots flailing about in the mist. Cool...
12:59 PM
Might as well post the last piccies on my VillagePhoto account.
Here's Gar (spawn of Hotspur) and Drey (the Lady Hotspur) lounging.
The Dawgs of Hotspur are exhausted by their guarding the Casa of Hotspur duties.
Anne, the daughter of Hotspur, dramatically trims the tree
Spawn and Annie bask in the loot... Santy has come!
More orgy of materialism in progress...
Here's Gar (spawn of Hotspur) and Drey (the Lady Hotspur) lounging.
The Dawgs of Hotspur are exhausted by their guarding the Casa of Hotspur duties.
Anne, the daughter of Hotspur, dramatically trims the tree
Spawn and Annie bask in the loot... Santy has come!
More orgy of materialism in progress...
12:42 PM
I discovered you need to give them money if you want to host more than a certain limit of files. Sigh.
On the other hand, I've found three replacments.
SaveFile - This website offers free hosting of images, docs, zips, music, video, and other file types (hotlinking allowed) - can be used for eBay auction pics, signatures, etc. No signup is required
Limitations: Max file size 1024 KB (1MB); File types allowed: txt, jpg, gif, bmp, png, swf (Flash), arj, zip, ace, exe, txt, nfo, txt, doc, mp3, wav, xls, pdf (Adobe Acrobat files).
(note... they have a high bandwidth option that isn't instantaneous.. you request this with a form and they get back to you. Something like 1GB online, for free!)
BestUpload - No signup is required at "Best Upload". They offer free webhosting for images, music, documents, Flash, compressed files, and other file types. Hotlinking allowed (can be used for messageboard signatures, ebay auction pics, photos at websites, etc.).
Limitations: Filetypes supported: TXT, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, SWF, JPEG, ARJ, RAR, ZIP, ACE, EXE, TXT, NFO, TXT, DOC, MP3, WAV, XLS, PDF; Files are hosted as long they are active, which means they delete files that haven't been loaded for 30 days; Max filesize is 600 KB.
FreeUpload - "Free Upload" offers free image uploading and hosting, with direct linking allowed (hotlinking) and no signup required, so can be used for message board avatars, online auctions, personal websites, etc. You can upload 1 file at a time via browser upload form.
Limitations: File size limit 500 KB; No storage space or bandwidth limit; File types allowed: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, JPEG.
This is a cool service... just a form to upload an image and then they feedback the URL to paste into whatever format you are using. I uploaded "Lounge Larry" via Free-Webhosts..
On the other hand, I've found three replacments.
SaveFile - This website offers free hosting of images, docs, zips, music, video, and other file types (hotlinking allowed) - can be used for eBay auction pics, signatures, etc. No signup is required
Limitations: Max file size 1024 KB (1MB); File types allowed: txt, jpg, gif, bmp, png, swf (Flash), arj, zip, ace, exe, txt, nfo, txt, doc, mp3, wav, xls, pdf (Adobe Acrobat files).
(note... they have a high bandwidth option that isn't instantaneous.. you request this with a form and they get back to you. Something like 1GB online, for free!)
BestUpload - No signup is required at "Best Upload". They offer free webhosting for images, music, documents, Flash, compressed files, and other file types. Hotlinking allowed (can be used for messageboard signatures, ebay auction pics, photos at websites, etc.).
Limitations: Filetypes supported: TXT, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, SWF, JPEG, ARJ, RAR, ZIP, ACE, EXE, TXT, NFO, TXT, DOC, MP3, WAV, XLS, PDF; Files are hosted as long they are active, which means they delete files that haven't been loaded for 30 days; Max filesize is 600 KB.
FreeUpload - "Free Upload" offers free image uploading and hosting, with direct linking allowed (hotlinking) and no signup required, so can be used for message board avatars, online auctions, personal websites, etc. You can upload 1 file at a time via browser upload form.
Limitations: File size limit 500 KB; No storage space or bandwidth limit; File types allowed: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, JPEG.
This is a cool service... just a form to upload an image and then they feedback the URL to paste into whatever format you are using. I uploaded "Lounge Larry" via Free-Webhosts..
11:38 AM
With the release of the final extended DVD in the excellent LORD OF THE RINGS triology directed by Peter Jackson, I find myself feeling mixed moods. Whereas I know, intellectually, that I won't be expecting any keen follow-on pressies for Christmas in the future (Jackson is iffy about THE HOBBIT, at best, so future expansion in the same universe is doubtful), and that's too bad. On the other hand, perhaps it's time to put all the truckloads of LOTR inspired action figure, happy meal toys and badly devised 'classics with a LOTR theme to make them sell' to rest , finally, in the budget bin palookaville that they have earned.
Risk LOTR looks pitiful... and LOTR Stratego? What genius came up with that one? What's next?
Well, Mark Kissel postulates just what that might be in
Lord of the Rings, Paste-a-theme" over on the geek. Pretty funny stuff.
Risk LOTR looks pitiful... and LOTR Stratego? What genius came up with that one? What's next?
Well, Mark Kissel postulates just what that might be in
Lord of the Rings, Paste-a-theme" over on the geek. Pretty funny stuff.
4:44 PM
Welcome back to work, everyone... those that didn't take a nice long week off, like myself, I commiserate with you. We had a fun little New Years. I did indeed end up taking the family to FAIRFAX FIRST NIGHT which was somewhat of a surprise in that we ALL had a good time, myself included. The event was geared towards the kids somewhat but they did make a valiant effort to keep us parents involved. There was faux ice skating (odd little dull skates on plastic tile), stand up comedians, music of all sorts, face painting, balloon tying, pies in the face, clowns and tons of inflatable bouncy things... not to mention hot apple cider and coffee if required. Early on in the evening it was hellish... long lines and impatient kids & parents. I enjoyed a little bit of street theater as one defensive dad got into a donnybrook with a somewhat white-trashy mom. "YOU are a common piece of crap, woman!" he shouts, stalking off. She returns with about ten cops to haul the guy away for verbal abuse, but alas, he has flown the coop. All the while, the kids bounce on the moonbounce, totally oblivious to the great people-watching opportunities I was getting. The later it got, the more jaundiced the ride operators got and the kiddies got to got through the line a few dozen times. I had fun later reminiscing with a street juggler with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, while Anne and Garrett went through the Atomic Moon Bounce a gazillion times (get tired kids.. that's it... yessss). We made a couple of flamboyant (and embarassing-- for me) attempts to pass clubs back and forth before I gave it up to watch instead. We tried waiting in line for carriage rides, but that was ONE event where the lines never got shorter. Sigh. The evening ended with a ho-hum laser light show that just screamed "Canned", and a countdown live video of the "Rotary Clock" striking midnight. Not bad.
Independent Gaming Blogs
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Painting a unit in 28mm2 months ago
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Dernier update...13 years ago
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Sunday special: Cosmic on my iPad15 years ago
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