Thanks to everyone for all your comments on my Dan Harmon posting. Thanks to Dan for linking to the piece. In between the folks agreeing with my position and the ones saying I’m old, out of touch, and should just be sent to the glue factory, a number of you brought up an interesting speculation – namely that networks are becoming obsolete and that the future of creative content will lie in other, newer arenas like the internet. So a maverick showrunner need not be concerned because if he has a large enough fan base he can circumvent networks completely. Some thoughts on that from a guy who, depending on your viewpoint, comes from a position of first-hand involvement in the TV industry or from ... Continue reading →
K&L Wines on Vine is such a treat. It’s a wine wonderland: everything is good and the people there are just great! While taking a look at wines last week, all of them with their little notes about why they are good from the staff, one had a particularly large sign that said “OMG” on it. Because I am Cher from Clueless at heart, I investigated: apparently it was a wine made by Drew Barrymore, which the sign–seen above–blatantly said in a very self-aware way. We otherwise would have laughed and walked away; however, as Bobby pointed out, the label and branding was designed by Shephard Fairey. This whole thing was too silly to pass up. We grabbed a bottle at the more-than-we-usually-spend price of ... Continue reading →
Piers Morgan has long insisted that, in his days as the editor of a London tabloid, he didn’t order or condone his reporters hacking into cellphones to get scoops about celebrities. But a British TV personality told a special inquiry Wednesday that Morgan seemed to have some very specific knowledge about how to access other people’s phone messages. Morgan, now the host of a nightly talk show on CNN in the U.S., also joked about overhearing a phone conversation between a pair of celebrities, Jeremy Paxman testified before the British government panel investigating journalism ethics. The BBC's Paxman recalled telling Morgan during a 2002 lunch that he was wholly unfamiliar with phone hacking. "He then explained the way to get access to people's messages was ... Continue reading →
Reposted from Daily Kos by MattWuerker (Click for larger size) Discuss (Click for larger image) Continue Reading (Click play button to see the animation.) Discuss (Click for larger size) This one was informed by a recent NYT article about this lovely new bipartisan plan to reduce the deficit. As though we're going to make up for the Bush tax cuts and trillion-dollar wars by selling off post offices. It's a market absolutist's dream come true. The attack plan shown on the computer screen in the third panel is taken directly from the war room in "Dr. Strangelove." At least one reader thought I was depicting a military strike on Canada. It does look a bit like Canada, I have to admit. But fear not, northerly ... Continue reading →
videos Five rare videos shot in the Haçienda 30 years after it opened, take a quick look at five magic moments in the history of the Haçi, from the Smiths to the ravers. Text: Jenny Jahans 1983The Smiths play a gig at Hacienda a year after their forming. Featuring Morrissey waving around a bunch of flowers. 1984 A film by music-focused TV series The Tube of A Certain Ratio and more singing Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. 1989 The Stone Roses peforming I Wanna Be Adored as they were ‘on the verge of achieving national recognition’, as explained by the presenter. 1989 A clearer video of a 1989 rave in the reconstructed red-bricked building. 1991 A New Year’s Eve rave. The footage isn’t ... Continue reading →
