Posts Tagged "media"
Ditty a Day #30: Ellen
I just heard that Ellen DeGeneres is the replacement for Paula Abdul on American Idol.
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An Open Letter to Rick Steves
Hi Rick,
We all know travel is supposed to be fun. And I get it, it’s confusing to be dropped into a foreign land, clueless about the local customs, food, attractions, and the like. But please, for the love of God, stop publishing this information.
I really do admire that you’ve done so well for yourself, amassing detailed reviews of expensive restaurants and luxurious hotels. And it’s impressive how thoroughly you’ve researched each of the destinations you write about. But I think it’s time to back off, Rick.
I can’t remember the last family vacation I went on that didn’t revolve around your advice. I’m sure this advice was well-intentioned; you seem like a good guy, after all. But is that quaint Italian eatery three bus stops away really any better than the one downstairs? Is it worth the two-hour pilgrimage to that wonderous waterfall you say we simply must see?
The problem here is that in order to make these books quickly and efficiently consumable, you only touch on a handful of things to do. This is all well and good, but when you’re all big and famous, people tend to take your advice extremely seriously. I know my mother won’t consider eating in a foreign land without your blessing. So cut us a break, Rick.
At least put a little “I haven’t been everywhere” disclaimer at the front of the book. Or better yet, include a “Very Impressive But Free Or Cheap” section in each book. Even my father would buy it and read it then.
I’m really just trying to help you out here, Rick. And I appreciate what you do. But at the end of the day, you’d be better off to realize that there are some real travel nuts out there, whom you’ve accidentally become responsible for.
Best,
John
Banging On Machines With Machines
I just found this video of some really interesting “electronic” music (sorry this has become a video blog lately):
Now, I’m on the fence about this one. This is one sick set of musical instruments, with some really innovative alternatives to sequencing and sampling, and their hearts seem to be in the right place.
My problem, though, is with the creative choices that these people seem to be making in performance. I just don’t like what they’re doing musically. And it’s a crying shame, because the instruments and sounds they’re using all seem like they could add up to something a lot more listenable and interesting. It all just sounds like an elaborate proof-of-concept to me.
The beat structures aren’t particularly stable, the synth chords don’t really go anywhere, and nothing has much shape. I’m not saying that all good music needs these things, but in a situation like this, when the variable and novelty is the sonic pallet itself, I’d much prefer something with traditional structure interpreted through novel sounds. (The one exception in my mind is the marimba chairs at the end, but that’s not even part of their sequencer setup.)
Has anyone heard these guys play anything else? Are there better songs around?
Because Last Night Was So Much Fun
I need to share this here:
Jon Fuller, Jonathan Bannigan and I wrote this for Matthew’s Minstrels for our final concert this past Friday. This is how we spend our time at this institution of higher learning.
Local News
Was local news ever good? Because recently it’s gone from bad to downright hilarious. Between ridiculous human interest stories, to complete and utter misinformation, it’s no wonder cable news stations are doing so well right now.
Last week Improv Anywhere set up an awesome April Fools prank in which they randomly “invaded” a funeral. Turns out it was a hoax set up for April Fool’s and no actual funeral was involved. However, some local news station picked it up, and reported it as fact.
Apparently, in order to make it onto the nightly news, a story doesn’t have to go through any fact-checking, or verification at all. Really, all it needs is a YouTube video, and it’s fit for broadcast.
And if I need to watch Al Roker struggling with a newfangled piece of technology one more time, I’m going to throw up. Network news caters to the lowest-common-denominator, and the result is a newsroom staffed with people in that very bracket.
No one has been as much a staple in my network news upbringing than Sue Simmons. This woman must be a complete nutjob off the air, because if you Google her name, you’ll find a few choice YouTube videos. I really can’t say anything about them that the clips themselves don’t say. Click on to watch.
