Blogorrhea

posted by JDM : 9:33 PM

Before logging in for my daily post, I clicked on a link to one of the recently updated Blogger blogs. I do not recommend such careless clicking.

This time, I visited Cale's Eng102 Blog. This person apparently has posted a paper about forced induction and increasing a car's horsepower.

Bored, I scrolled to the bottom and found a month-old post, which reads:

Cale's Reading Log:

I was recommended to read the Da Vinci Code and have for a total of 2 hours now. The books 3rd person perspective and rather complex plot have made it rather hard to follow so far. The main protagonist is Robert Langdon and it looks like he will be interpreting religious symbols to investigate a murder.

I'll ignore the terribly awkward passive voice in the first sentence and just say, Cale, buddy, you'll be fine. If The Da Vinci Code were so tough to follow, it wouldn't still be the New York Times No. 1 hardcover fiction best seller. And at this point, saying, "It looks like [Robert Langdon] will be interpreting religious symbols to investigate a murder," is like reading The New Testament and saying, "Well, this Jesus character seems to use parables to teach people how to do the right thing; I have a hunch he's going to try to save everybody's soul."

I'm going to go read a novel called Moby Dick now. I'm not sure, but I think it's about some sort of sea creature and a man trying to capture it.

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So Tired...

posted by RICK : 3:56 PM

I woke up bright and early this moring. The plan: go to a studio-screening of Two For The Money in midtown. It wasn't being held at a theatre but at some office building, I suspect there would have been surveys to fill out after. Perhaps its best then that Matt overslept and thus it didn't work out. In any case, I walked around for a spell, bought the Alternative Champs record, and then wandered. Now I'm home and schedule to look at apartments for the afternoon.

Good god.

This is exactly the type of post I was hoping to avoid with this blog. Hrmm...

Perhaps I can right this ship...
Check out Judd Apatow's diary which is being posted on Slate all week. It's not revolutionary, but has some choice moments.

Damn. I don't know if that did it.

Well, when all else fails.... give away stuff for free. Right?

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Would Woody Woodpecker Laugh?

posted by JDM : 8:46 PM

In British Columbia, a town calls itself Woodcock.

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Tiger Woods: Baaadasssss!

posted by RICK : 4:53 PM

Look at this guy! Doesn't he look about 45% more awesome since deciding to sport the goatee? Previously, Tiger Woods was part of the same club as A-Rod-- that being professional athletes with unfathomable talent who just couldn't be any more boring. A-Rod is still that way. But now Tiger has facial hair and frosted tips and of course a hot Swedish-Nanny-Wife and it doesn't matter if he isn't dominant anymore because he at least is giving off the impression of a dude who means business. Look, I know nothing of golf. I know that when I used to play golf it caused me to swear with such a higher frequency and with exponential intensity that I felt I had to stop. I would also throw my clubs a lot. I don't really know what A has to do with B but I'm glad to see Tiger kicking it up a notch. Now he has some mystery. Like at any moment he could just bust loose and beat Vijay Singh with a 5 wood. Go tiger.

OTHER:
The right column is looking better, but is still totally screwed up on IE. Because I'm tired with tweeking right now I'm going to just say that if the poor design bothers you, then its high time you switch to Firefox.

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Balding isn't all roses, I tell you.

posted by RICK : 10:45 AM

A lot of people think that those of us, whose hair is rapidly depleating, have it all made. "You don't have to spend 2 hours in front of the mirror every morning maticulously arranging strands of gold," they say. "Bald guys don't have to invest as much on shampoo." "Bald guys aren't subject to to the laws of physics-- like centripetal force." All these things are true, but our lives aren't perfect. This morning I discovered that I'm in the middle of my very first "head-peeling." Last Saturday I got a bit too much sun up-top and now I'm starting to peel. I used to always enjoy this process when it was on my arms or legs or whatnot. Call me a sicko, but trying to get a perfect layer off was always a bit of a game. When its on your head: not so much. Now it just feels vaguely filthy. People are going to think I have dandruf, which I may!, but certainly not to this degree.

Okay. Enough of this nonsense.

HEY! If you get a chance, take a listen to the new MF Doom/DJ Danger Mouse colab, "The Mouse and the Mask." It's 14 sweet tracks that are more or less about Adult Swim characters (Shake, Meatwad, Harvey Birdman, Black Debbie). Sounds rediculous, and yet, it's not. It's quite good. Who'da'thunkit?

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"A History of Violence"

posted by RICK : 9:57 AM

Saw the new Cronenberg film yesterday afternoon. I've seen none of his other work, which makes it kind of hard to write this post, but I'm trusting that we'll make it through. I did read the graphic novel on which the film is based, however, and found it luke-warm. The GN is pure pulp, and written by the same guy who wrote "The Road to Perdition." Between the two, HoV was a better movie, but RtP was the better book. My problem with the graphic novel for HoV was unlike the movie, the violence illustrated on the pages (which was some of the most grusome acts I've come across) didn't have any meaning, but instead simply devlivered on the buyers investment in a mildly interesting story peppered with plenty of seedy acts. I was relieved to see that a lot of the crazier stuff from the book didn't make the film, and rightly so. The books violence is so extreme it would totally disconnect the viewer in this otherwise very low-key, very straight forward tale. Cronenberg was correct to rework the last half of the book for the film giving it a dramatic levity that the book couldn't even come close to-- it was also strikingly funny, which was unexpected. But above all, HoV, the movie, works because of the acting. Structurally, you know where everything is going from moment 1, but Vigo and Maria sell it like 5th Avenue street vendors. Absolutely amazing performances.

All that being said, this is not the best film of the year, and while residing in the upper-tier of 2005 releases, I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be long forgotten by the time people start to care.

Since I've been absent, here's the last 10 things I've watched:
749-Entourage (Complete Second Season) * * 1/2
750-The Constant Gardener * * *
751-Undeclared (Complete Series) * * *
752-Curb Your Enthusiasm (Complete 4th Season) * * *
753-Thumbsucker * * * 1/2
754-It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Complete 1st Season) * * * *
755-Starved (Complete 1st Season) * * 1/2
756-Lord of War * * *
757-The Shield (Complete 4th Season) * * *
758-A History of Violence * * * 1/2

A lot of television, no?

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another blog? now I have like 10

posted by chickadee on a dodge dart : 2:07 AM

I'm thinking no on the comments because I'm too lazy to look at the posts and see if they have comments.

Will Smith is filming a movie outside of my house and he has to film some chase scenes. Its awesome. The Fresh Prince himself, and his body double, fake running from nobody.

Jannelle

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Antijet activists

posted by JDM : 9:37 PM

So this is a projet blog, eh?

I hope the antijet activists don't bomb the clinic.

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posted by DrNewsie : 7:08 PM

Can anybody be a part of this blog?

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I'm thinking "yes" on the comments...

posted by Anonymous : 6:18 PM

Just my humble input.

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Quick notes, after a few hours

posted by RICK : 4:31 PM

1) I'm at work on a Windows/IE machine and the right column looks all sorts of screwed up. I'll fix this tonight, I promise. Only the best for WiR. YES!

2) How do people feel about comments? Should we have them? Is it better to just be able to post right to the main page, or assuming more and more people join, will threads start to become more confusing than a Guatamalan finger-trap?

3) To change your "name" you need to login to Blogger and update your profile.

More later, on my break-- but right now, work, YES WORK, must be done.

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Old news

posted by RICK : 10:56 AM

A few housekeeping items before we start blowing this thing wide open...

FIRST, if you haven't checked out my most recent podcast you can do so by clicking here. Also, for whatever unexplainable reason, my feed is currently not working in iTunes. Deal.

Also on the auditory front, the No Picture Show has also updated. Check it out. The current episode boasts an exclusive interview with indie legend Richard Linklater.

And while I'm on the subject, I need to express a concern. My iPod, which broke a couple months ago and then miraculously resurrected itself is now broke again, but this time in a seemingly permanent mannor. I am quite frustrated by this. It was the hard drive that went and has since made me rethink the whole portable music player market. If a hard drive based device can't take some simple wear and tear, then what's the point. My next purchase is going to be a flash player, but it won't be a Nano. As cool as that thing may be, I've heard nothing but problems in terms of the screens and them cracking because of its thinness.

So I'm going to buy a Shuffle. Unless anyone has any better ideas. More as this develops.

AND 10 POINTS to L-Ham, for being the first non-me-poster!

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This will be a beautiful thing

posted by RICK : 1:53 AM

Remember two years ago when it seemed like everyone was starting a blog, and goddammit, you were going to start one too? Remember how satisfying it was to be able to post your most inimate thoughts and/or daily routines for tens upon tens of readers each and every week? Then remember how as time passed the pressure mounted and you quit posting and then with every day that would pass the desire and the ability to post would become increasinly dire? Remember when you didn't have an actual job and could write about whatever the fuck you wanted never having to fear the wrath of a sit-down in HR? If you remember any of this, then the What is Recoil blog just what the doctor ordered.

Here's how it's going to go down:

You may remember me. My name is Rick. For over 3 years I wrote about absolutely nothing of interest on the incredibly popular website "MagneticMediaFed. People LOVED it. People who I went to high school with, people I once worked with, other people-- EVERYONE. Well, that site no longer exists, or at the very least isn't going to be updated any longer. Instead I'll be writing here. Really, you won't notice much of a difference except that this site has a groovy "form feed printer/office supply" feel to it, and one other thing: you'll be able to post as well. Why comment in a separate pop-up when you can let your feelings be heard right out in the open!? And let's not just limit things to responses to posts, go wild. Have an interesting link? Post it. Feel the need to inform the masses about an event? Post it. Want to try to convince people that the Spanish-American War was more important than World War 1? Post it. This is officially the people's blog.

Here's the only catch: you need a login. To get one, send an email to me with a subject line reading "RECOIL BLOG NEEDS ME!" I'll send you an invite within 24 hours. BAM! You're set.

I know what you're thinking. "RICK! What if no one posts but you? Then isn't it just MagneticMediaFed with a different URL?" The answer to that question is "yes." But I'm okay with that. Still, let's give it a shot, shalln't* we?

*"Shalln't" is not a real conjunction.

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