A new painting I bought

Here is a painting I bought recently. I rarely buy original art (I don't have the space for it yet), but this one I had to have. I post two different photos of it because parts of it are made of metal plate, and reacts to different light in different ways. It is a very bold and very cool picture. It is 70x90 centimeters.

New iPod & my new amp

David Pogue wrote:
"On the downside, the Rokr's phone functions use the same software design as Motorola's Razr phone, which is, ahem, not nearly as universally adored as the Razr's physical design."

No kidding! I bought a Razr V3 last month. (My even smaller Erikson was flaking out. I loved that phone.) And it is just gorgeous. But the "Hello Moto" (groan) team should be re-evaluated.

[You need a registration to read NYT columns. But Pogue's column alone is worth it.]

The new phone: USB 1.1??! Come on. I thought the reason that Steve did not mention that it was USB 2 was because that was "so duh" as Madonna would have put it.

I am glad to get the new iPod Nano instead. I rarely use my full iPod. And I used the shuffle a lot for a while, but the lack of navigation and playlists became a hurdle. I think the Nano will do the trick. I love audio books. (I listened to all the Hitchhiker's Guide books on the Shuffle.) And I love gadgets so small I can't feel them in my pocket.




Oh, by the way, I am setting up my iMac G5 as a high fidelity center with a Musical Fidelity X80 amp (gorgeous piece of technology. And it has just been discontinued, so I got it half price. It fits perfectly under the stand of the iMac) and Design E speakers. It will be so great, especially for music DVDs.

You should watch Steve Jobs' presentation over Quicktime. I always love those.

William Gibson

I have not have the patience to read much fiction for a while, but I just started re-reading William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition". Damn, nobody writes like Gibson. Every sentence is a little work of poetry, and yet somehow they all line up and tell a story. Warmly recommended.

One reason I love SF more than what academics normally consider fine literature, is that not only does it not fear technology, but also it usually has highly capable characters. Whereas "fine literature" usually has characters who accomplishes nothing except to polish their neuroses.

Actually Pattern Recogntion is not even SF, but it feels like it.

... Another reason I love Gibson: He has apparently approximately the same priorities as I have myself. There is very little romance or sex in his stories. But a lot of art and creation. Several of his books have at their core a trek to find an important artist. Visuals and designs and aesthetics in general are very important too. I really like that.

Fashion and Style

I find it a sad comment on the world that in most people's mind, "fashion" and "style" are synonymous. To me they are almost more like opposites. After all, fashion is taking directions from overpaid designers and big brands as to what to wear. And style is making your own look and your own decisions.

Decency?

If I see the embedded graphic in my email once more:
"Dear Homeowner: you have been pre-approved..."
I will puke up my lungs.

My message to spammers: Dear Sirs, have you no decency?

A Chick Flick for men

Alternative headlines:
Like Frasier, only not funny
or:
Dysfunctional people talking

Review of the movie "Sideways"

Have you ever seen Anywhere But Here with Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon? That may be the ultimate "chick flick" outside of Ingmar Bergman. Two hours of a mother and a daughter arguing. Yum.

"Sideways" is like that. Only with men. Puzzling.
It is well done, and the start is promising, very quirky. But it soon started to try my patience, and by the middle of the film I was thinking "OK, but what is it about?!"

The issue with this kind of film is that the characters have no external problems. They only have the problems in their own heads. And it does not make for very exciting story telling. You keep yelling at them: "Just make up your mind!" or "Get off your butt!"

Sure, we may all have our problems in our heads, but other people's silly neuroses just aren't very interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I don't demand a lot of action, just a story. For instance one of my all-time favorite movies is Postcards From The Edge, and that is a very talky movie. But it has a story, and the dialogue is fabulous, quirky, and very funny.

If you tend to like French cinema, you'll surely love Sideways, so go for it.

color

I've suddenly at the tender age of mumble mumble become interested in home decoration. Who woulda thunk it?

I recently acquired a couple of gorgeous items, to wit the vase and bowl pictured here. Not cheap items, but what with some success and no smoking or drinking, I can afford it. :)
My home is already largely in dark blue and yellow/orange, so they fit well. But the intensity of the colors of the glace in real life has to be seen. Gorgeous.

"The Wire"

I have now watched the cop show The Wire on DVD, the first season.
It is very engaging, and very realistic, and rather unusual.
One example: they don't use music to tell you what to feel about the scene. (I didn't even notice until it was mentioned in the commentaries.) I am pleased about that, for I get irritated when a show or film plays "scary" or "romatic" music to manipulate you. It just lacks subtlety. Not so on The Wire.
The show is based to a very high degree on the experiences of police in Baltimore. One of the co-writers was a cop for 20 years.
Just see if you can watch several episodes without using the F-word all the time and pronouncing "all right" like "a-ight". :)
I am much more of a comedy fan than a thriller-fan (or whatever), but this one is recommended.