Remains of the Day

A dirty, poorly lit place

I'm in a dark dark place that I'll just refer to as pre-production. What I wouldn't give to have a line producer or two working for me. It's going to be a long, sleepless week and a half.

So while I'm in this dark dark place, I'll probably go dark here as well. Looks as if the New Yorker has a few interesting articles. Here are some of those and well as a handful of others for you to read while I try to fight my way to freedom.

It takes guts to speak out against Vladimir Putin.

"Good People" is a new short story by David Foster Wallace.

From the archives: David Remnick interviews Barack Obama.

Revisiting Obama at Harvard Law School: a preview of how he'd be as a candidate? (NYTimes)

Bruce Schneier speaks of the value of security theater. (Wired)

Free Font Manifesto.

Technorati Tags: dfw, fiction, film school, filmmaking, newyorker, Obama, politics, font, security

grab bag

Fun surrealist photography by chema madoz.

Another cautionary report on global warming. It doesn't seem like the argument is about whether or not global warming is occurring anymore, but instead about how severe and sudden the consequences will be.

Photos of tin tabernacles.

Some mischievous pop art paintings, e.g. a Brokeback-esque Batman and Robin.

Technorati Tags: globalwarming, photo, photography, art, weather

Academy Award Nominees announced

Here are the Oscar contenders.

Technorati Tags: film, movies, oscars

22 years later, back to the big dance

My first wish on my birthday yesterday was to turn one year younger rather than older. That didn't happen.

The second was for ESPN's NFL expert panel to prove to be an exception to the idea of the wisdom of crowds, at least in reference to the NFC Championship Game:

Kudos to Accuscore, whoever you are (and to John Clayton, who picked the Bears but didn't make hte cut for this ESPN graphic). Late in the game against the Saints, when the snow started falling, I couldn't help but flash back to the 85 NFC Championship Game against the Rams. Late in that game, as the Bears finished off their second consecutive playoff shutout, the snow started falling at Soldier Field, and every Chicago fan just knew that there was no way they'd lose again that season.

I still remember the 85 Superbowl in vivid detail. I watched it over at my friend Derek's house with a whole crew of Bears fans. Everyone thought with that defense that the Bears would be back for at least one more Superbowl, but QB issues left the Bears choosing among Doug Flutie, Mike Tomczak, and Steve Fuller to start the playoff game against the Redskins. There wasn't a winning card in that hand.

So you appreciate Super Bowls when you make it into them because it might be decades before the next one comes along for your team. The 85 Bears were favored in every game they played, while this season's Bears seem to be lightly regarded by most everyone. They will be heavy underdogs in the Super Bowl. I couldn't care less.

Technorati Tags: football, bears, sports

New Bloc Party

Over at Scenestars, stream the new Bloc Party album Weekend in the City.

Technorati Tags: music, blocparty

Wrinkled Golden Globes

I imagine the censors sitting around in the control room last night, looking at each other quizzically.

"Can we let that through? Anus and testicles?"

Shoulders all through the booth shrug in unison.

"Technically those are just anatomical terms, not curse words."

Technorati Tags: humor, movies, tv, video, youtube

Obama will announce presidential run details on Feb 10

From an e-mail from Barack Obama's camp:

Dear Friend,

As you may know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.

...

I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

I've chatted with a couple of friends about a potential Presidential run by Obama, and we all felt that this was the right time for him to run. It's rare for a politician to inspire such ardent backing from the public. The most oft-cited weakness of his presidential resume is his scant political experience, but to my mind that might be a strength.

A longer voting record in the Senate only gives opponents ammunition (already potential opponents have picked out bits and pieces of his voting record to try to tarnish his halo). When one of the only negatives the press can trump up about a candidate is the fact that he smokes, he's in good shape. Obama has a self-effacing charm that can probably turn attacks like that into positives.

There was a time I thought Colin Powell could have run for president and won. Instead he joined the Bush Administration and built up political experience. It didn't quite work out the way most everyone imagined it would. That's not to say Obama as a state Senator could suffer the same type of political damage, but to imagine that the stars will still be aligned this perfectly four years from now is risky.

Technorati Tags: barackobama, politics

We'll take it

A bit too close for comfort. I spent a good three hours bracing myself for the worst, so when the Bears actually won I was more relieved than elated.

Given the turnover-prone tendencies of Grossman and the weak play from an injury-depleted defense the last third of the season, Bears fans have had to live on faith more than swagger this season. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Bears are the underdogs in the NFC Championship; most experts will be picking the Saints.

But you reach a certain point in life and you realize it's better to look at the glass half full when there's nothing you can do about it. In the offseason, then you give your team an honest evaluation. Now, in the playoffs, you hope for some luck and know that on any given Sunday, your team can beat the other team.

The Bears are one win from the Superbowl, and though they're regarded as the weakest of the four remaining teams, I don't care. In January and February, every Sunday your team is playing is a happy Sunday.

Technorati Tags: football, bears, sports

Land ahoy

According to this article, ABC plans to set and announce an endpoint for Lost. I'm all for it. The show really needs one if only so fans believe there actually is some plan. It would even be beneficial to ABC (if disingenuous) for them to announce an endpoint even if it didn't exist.

But I'm skeptical that they'll announce one. TV networks tend to milk their golden geese for all they're worth; most shows end up drawn out so far that they jump the shark.

Technorati Tags: lost, television, tv

Stuff I'm excited to see

Trailer for Tears of the Black Tiger

Trailer for The Host.

Preview the first 10 minutes of this Sunday's premiere episode of season two of Extras. Guest star Orlando Bloom.

Technorati Tags: movies, extras, trailer, tv

Blades of Glory

Trailer for Blades of Glory, the pairs figure skating comedy starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. I'm always suspicious of movies that try to spoof something that is already a spoof of itself (in this case, the dramatic stylings of Olympics pairs skaters), but it has Will Ferrell in it so I'll probably go see it the same way I would a Sixers Nuggets game to see Iverson.

Technorati Tags: movies, trailer

David and Mamet, Barney and Bjork

"David and Mamet" is a 91 second short by Alex Rose about two guys chatting David Mamet-style about...well, that's really the pitch, isn't it?

Ooh ooh. Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint 9 has leaked onto the Internet. Barney has always treated his films as limited-edition art pieces, and so bootleg DVD copies of his Cremaster Cycle were spoken of in the same hushed tones as holy relics in Indiana Jones movies. But the internet, the ability to digitize content of all types, and people's yearning for that content is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Nothing, even the fabled Cremaster Cycle, can escape it.
[The last time I saw something by Matthew Barney was at Sundance. He directed the first segment of the movie Destricted, a series of 7 shorts about pornography. In Barney's segment, "Hoist," a nude man copulated with a giant Caterpillar truck. The man had a massive turnip growing out of his butt and flowers growing out of his mouth. Needless to say, the rarity of Barney films on DVD does not mean they're for everyone.]

Technorati Tags: movies, matthewbarney, video

The animal rehabilitator

Technorati Tags: photo, lion

Jack is back, a bit earlier than anticipated

The first episode of the new season of 24 leaked out onto the Net. The torrent is out there. It took about 35 minutes and then I was sold on this season. Giddyup!

Stream the new Shins album.

Preview a track each from the upcoming albums by Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, and The Good, the Bad and the Queen.

Links to loads of free classical music available online (in Ogg format)

Free album from Talib Kweli and Madlib called Liberation.

It was 72 degrees in Central Park yesterday, setting a new record.

Technorati Tags: 24, classical, free, globalwarming, mp3, music, torrent, tv, weather

RIP Momofuku Ando

The founder of Nissin Food Products and the inventor of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando passed away at the age of 96 today. In honor, I plan to eat a bowl of chicken ramen today. In the last half century, I can't think of too many food inventions that have had a greater impact on my life.

I'm surprised that ramen with Omega-3 and other nutritional supplements hasn't hit the market. Given its popularity and its relative lack of nutrients, ramen has always been a guilty pleasure. A brand offering the same taste with even a hint of nutritional benefit would do quite well, I suspect.

Technorati Tags: food, obit

Why is my suitcase always last to appear on the airport carousel?

MacRumors has a roundup of all the rumors surrounding next week's Macworld in San Francisco. With all the leaks and speculation, it's difficult for Apple to continue to surprise anyone at the show, but I'm hoping they still manage to.

Download two tracks off the new album by Air, Pocket Symphony. (thx to Wolf Notes)

Richard Dawkins calls the execution of Saddam Hussein an act of vandalism because it deprived us of the opportunity to study his mind, something Dawkins considers a prime piece of evidence in the study of cruel dictators. I have no idea if that's true--can one learn that much from an individual mind/brain?

Scientific American lays a popular myth to rest: peeing on a jellyfish sting doesn't do any good. Try a little vinegar instead.

Gracenote is working to license lyrics from all the major labels with an eye towards offering a legal, commercial, and accurate song lyric service to launch in early 2007. Good news for karaoke on the computer services (I don't actually know if there are any, but I'm sure there will be soon if there aren't already), though not as big a deal with all the unofficial lyric resources all over the web.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac, music, mp3, science, tech

Crazy rig

This is how Emmanuel Lubezki captured the first of the jaw-dropping single takes in Children of Men. That is the craziest film car rig I've ever seen.

Technorati Tags: cinematography, film, movies, photo, howto

2-Double-0-Seven

In this week's New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell examines the difference between a puzzle and a mystery and argues that Enron's business model and much of what U.S. foreign intelligence face today are more mystery than puzzle. To solve a puzzle, you simply need more information, but more information may only add complexity to a mystery.

Also in this week's New Yorker (a good one), David Denby does a diagnostic of Hollywood, the state of the business. The article makes mention, at the end. of the ArcLight, perhaps the nicest multiplex in the country, at least in terms of sight and sound.

Most sports fans already saw the highlights, but for the few who didn't, Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl using, among other trick plays, a Hook-and-Ladder and a Statue of Liberty play. Here's another angle which also includes the following: after scoring the game-winning 2-pt conversion, Ian Johnson ran over and proposed to his girlfriend, a cheerleader. He converted that one, too. Just an unbelievable game, maybe the most entertaining college football game I've ever seen. Here's a compilation clip of all of the 4th quarter and OT highlights. (Sorry about the clip quality--YouTube and its Flash video is really suboptimal for sports clips; let's hope that by the end of 2007 there's a high quality video streaming site for sports highlights).

The Apple menu command key comes from a Swedish symbol used to indicate interesting attractions in campgrounds.

How do you like your coffee? With a mushroom cloud drop of milk, please. Cool photo.

100 things we didn't know last year. "In a fight between a polar bear and a lion, the polar bear would win."

I'm not usually one to make New Year's resolutions, and after being named Time's Person of the Year in 2006, I'm facing some brutal year over year comps, but one goal I have for 2007 is to be carbon neutral. It was easy to do while in NYC, when I took public transportation everywhere, but it will be a challenge in LA. There are a variety of Carbon Calculators on the web if you want to participate. It has been so warm in NYC this holiday break. Pieces of arctic ice shelf are breaking off or just plain melting. It feels to me as if the impacts of global warming will descend upon us quickly, perhaps not as quickly as this, but quickly enough that it's perhaps already too late for us to act. One way to start is by purchasing compact fluorescent bulbs to replace the incandescents you likely have in your household. I don't love the light of compact fluorescents, but I'm going to try living with it.

Technorati Tags: apple, design, environment, football, gladwell, globalwarming, photography, green, sports