It's awesome just the same.
Tags:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
How Did That Happen
Categories:
celebrity
6
Contributions
I don't know who I know on Facebook that knows two of the gentleman who have been recommended to me (because when I click on their accounts I get NO info).
It's awesome just the same.
It's awesome just the same.
Lady Gaga to record Bond Movie Theme
Categories:
music
2
Contributions
My reaction:
Did they not learn their lesson from the abomination that was the Die Another Day theme song.
If this news came out tomorrow, I would have chalked it up as an April Fools Day joke.
From the Sun: "Bond bosses are all huge Gaga fans. Her sound and sense of drama make her the top choice. Gaga has the look as well as the voice to tackle a thundering ballad. She's a great songwriter too. This is perfect on every level."
Yeah, because Telephone is going to be discussed in the same breath as "Yesterday" and "Like A Rolling Stone". I know she can write songs as her work as a brunette student proves, but that is not who they are considering for that job. They are hiring someone who is flying their freak flag without bringing the goods. I mean, Bowie played a freak too, but he made great music that spanned the generations.
And when they say it is perfect on every level, they are forgetting a word.
Did they not learn their lesson from the abomination that was the Die Another Day theme song.
If this news came out tomorrow, I would have chalked it up as an April Fools Day joke.
From the Sun: "Bond bosses are all huge Gaga fans. Her sound and sense of drama make her the top choice. Gaga has the look as well as the voice to tackle a thundering ballad. She's a great songwriter too. This is perfect on every level."
Yeah, because Telephone is going to be discussed in the same breath as "Yesterday" and "Like A Rolling Stone". I know she can write songs as her work as a brunette student proves, but that is not who they are considering for that job. They are hiring someone who is flying their freak flag without bringing the goods. I mean, Bowie played a freak too, but he made great music that spanned the generations.
And when they say it is perfect on every level, they are forgetting a word.
Tags:
Monday, March 29, 2010
Stumbleupon delivers again
Categories:
geekypics
2
Contributions
I don't know who took this picture, when it happened or the events surrounding it, but the caption perfectly captures my sentiment.
If Camo'd Arnie was throat punching Mr. T while Molly Ringwald was mouthing for him to stop, it would basically recreate my entire 1980's pop cultural existence.
If Camo'd Arnie was throat punching Mr. T while Molly Ringwald was mouthing for him to stop, it would basically recreate my entire 1980's pop cultural existence.
Tags:
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday Video: Tik Tok Parody
Categories:
music,
videos
4
Contributions
A great parody of Kesha's Tik Tok.
It totally deserved it.
It totally deserved it.
Tags:
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Week 46: Pageant of the Transmundane
Categories:
transmundanity
2
Contributions
A man in Pennsylvania was arrested for public drunkenness for trying to give mouth to mouth resuscitation to a long dead opossum along a rural highway. I am thinking he'd have to be pretty drunk, because I wouldn't bring my lips near road kill or a possibly living opossum for any amount of money.
Anyway, sometimes it is a grand sweeping weirdness... and sometimes simplicity and elegance of presentation wins the day.
The latter category of subdued though still strange subject matter has done just that this week.
This week's winner is from Burbanked.
Alan has been creating these little vignettes of Sean Connery saying seemingly mundane things, but he has been presenting them in such a way that it turns into magic. Take a gander at his first effort.
And because this week's entry has to do with Sean Connery, I went with an old stand by... Homer tackling a Connery-like Bond figure from the episode "You Only Move Twice".
Congrats Alan. Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Anyway, sometimes it is a grand sweeping weirdness... and sometimes simplicity and elegance of presentation wins the day.
The latter category of subdued though still strange subject matter has done just that this week.
This week's winner is from Burbanked.
Alan has been creating these little vignettes of Sean Connery saying seemingly mundane things, but he has been presenting them in such a way that it turns into magic. Take a gander at his first effort.
And because this week's entry has to do with Sean Connery, I went with an old stand by... Homer tackling a Connery-like Bond figure from the episode "You Only Move Twice".
Congrats Alan. Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Friday, March 26, 2010
Kevin Smith Attacks His Critics
Categories:
celebrity,
movies
6
Contributions
Kevin Smith is mad at film critics in general, and specifically, people like me because they didn't like his latest movie Cop Out.
And here is the thing, Smith compared that criticism to... well, I will just share his tag on it: #YesIcomparedMyFlickToARetardedKid. He said it was as if the critics were making fun of a mentally handicapped child. He also said that with a name like Cop Out, the critics shouldn't have expected high quality entertainment. "Watching them beat the shit out of it was sad. Like, it's called #CopOut ; that sound like a very ambitious title to you?"
I don't know about you, but somehow that indicates to me that his heart wasn't in that movie to begin with. Like he isn't really happy about the movie or doesn't think highly of it. And that is okay. But you can't then get bent out of shape when people call you out for being involved in a substandard product.
He has also admitted in the past that he isn't the greatest filmmaker out there. He's said it on stage and in interviews, one of which I will quote now. When asked by the BBC why he became a director, he stated:
But one of those other little bits that has come up from his Evening DVD's is that his budgets are small, so the studios are taking much smaller risks bankrolling his work, so his career is relatively safe no matter the financial outcome.
See, the problem I am seeing with Smith's rant (and yes, it is a rant), is he is lumping bloggers into the same boat as professional critics. So he hates people critiquing his work from both an educated and amateur point of view. He wants the reviewing process to be democratized, because all the established critics are too authoritarian, but the online culture of wanting to see people fail is a result of that.
Hmmm. Picking 500 people from your feed to watch your next movie as your reviewers vs. professional critics. Yeah, that is exactly the same thing.
Would anyone else like to stack the deck like that if they were in that position? You know... just grab 500 people who follow your every move on Twitter and have them judge your work.
But let's say for the sake of argument that Smith meant just 500 people from Twitter in general. If he thought his reviews were bad before.... wow, I'm an asshole, and I write on the internet, and even I can see the disaster that could befall that (well, after you factor out all the people who are so honored that they were asked to go to that screening that they would be superpositive about what they saw no matter what).
It is like Kevin Smith forgot the whole basis of one of his movies was having his two most famous characters getting upset because people on the internet would insult them because of a movie-within-the-movie that was based on their likenesses. If he just picked 500 random people on Twitter to review his movies, that's what would happen.
See, the difference between me here and a professional critic is, I am not accountable. I can say whatever I want with little to no consequences. I am allowed to have vendettas and grand hatreds and orgiastic loves with things and act them out daily if I choose, and no one is going to reign me in, or edit me down or whatever. I don't even have to worry about peer approval.
Professional critics have to worry about all those things. But I think that somehow, Kevin Smith has it in his mind that the critics have it in for him, and always have when that is overwhelmingly not the case. He got really dinged this one time (I mean, even Jersey Girl got 41% on Rotten Tomatoes), and he is acting like a tubby bitch (in Smith's own parlance). Cop Out's 19% rating at that same site is really Smith's first real widespread lambasting by critics as a body.
Then again, he has never appreciated criticism. Allow me to quote from that aforementioned BBC interview again.
Personally, I don't think any of this would have come up if Cop Out would have made more money at the box office. Do any of you think that Kevin Smith would have had this twitter-fit if the movie made 100 million dollars or more at the box office? I think he would have looked at those reviews and laughed his ass off.
As a comparison, here is how Quentin Tarantino framed his own problems with critics:
Now that is how you make a statement about the people reviewing your films... not crying out that they are somehow being mean to you because they are either too elitist or just internet trolls.
And when people tell you to stop complaining and just make a better movie... they mean it.
I wear my bad reviews with honor. He should too.
And here is the thing, Smith compared that criticism to... well, I will just share his tag on it: #YesIcomparedMyFlickToARetardedKid. He said it was as if the critics were making fun of a mentally handicapped child. He also said that with a name like Cop Out, the critics shouldn't have expected high quality entertainment. "Watching them beat the shit out of it was sad. Like, it's called #CopOut ; that sound like a very ambitious title to you?"
I don't know about you, but somehow that indicates to me that his heart wasn't in that movie to begin with. Like he isn't really happy about the movie or doesn't think highly of it. And that is okay. But you can't then get bent out of shape when people call you out for being involved in a substandard product.
He has also admitted in the past that he isn't the greatest filmmaker out there. He's said it on stage and in interviews, one of which I will quote now. When asked by the BBC why he became a director, he stated:
Because I wasn't much good at anything else, and oddly enough I'm not very good at this - but nobody seems to notice, so I get away with it. I'm not really a strong visual stylist and that's kind of called for in the job description, because it is all about putting visuals together, and I'm not really I interested in that. I'm more interested in character, story, and dialogue, so to that degree I could have done radio shows, but radio is not nearly as popular in my country as it is here.
But one of those other little bits that has come up from his Evening DVD's is that his budgets are small, so the studios are taking much smaller risks bankrolling his work, so his career is relatively safe no matter the financial outcome.
See, the problem I am seeing with Smith's rant (and yes, it is a rant), is he is lumping bloggers into the same boat as professional critics. So he hates people critiquing his work from both an educated and amateur point of view. He wants the reviewing process to be democratized, because all the established critics are too authoritarian, but the online culture of wanting to see people fail is a result of that.
I'd rather pick 500 randoms from / Twitter feed & let THEM see it for free in advance, then post THEIR opinions, good AND bad. Same difference. Why's their opinion more valid?
Hmmm. Picking 500 people from your feed to watch your next movie as your reviewers vs. professional critics. Yeah, that is exactly the same thing.
Would anyone else like to stack the deck like that if they were in that position? You know... just grab 500 people who follow your every move on Twitter and have them judge your work.
But let's say for the sake of argument that Smith meant just 500 people from Twitter in general. If he thought his reviews were bad before.... wow, I'm an asshole, and I write on the internet, and even I can see the disaster that could befall that (well, after you factor out all the people who are so honored that they were asked to go to that screening that they would be superpositive about what they saw no matter what).
It is like Kevin Smith forgot the whole basis of one of his movies was having his two most famous characters getting upset because people on the internet would insult them because of a movie-within-the-movie that was based on their likenesses. If he just picked 500 random people on Twitter to review his movies, that's what would happen.
See, the difference between me here and a professional critic is, I am not accountable. I can say whatever I want with little to no consequences. I am allowed to have vendettas and grand hatreds and orgiastic loves with things and act them out daily if I choose, and no one is going to reign me in, or edit me down or whatever. I don't even have to worry about peer approval.
Professional critics have to worry about all those things. But I think that somehow, Kevin Smith has it in his mind that the critics have it in for him, and always have when that is overwhelmingly not the case. He got really dinged this one time (I mean, even Jersey Girl got 41% on Rotten Tomatoes), and he is acting like a tubby bitch (in Smith's own parlance). Cop Out's 19% rating at that same site is really Smith's first real widespread lambasting by critics as a body.
Then again, he has never appreciated criticism. Allow me to quote from that aforementioned BBC interview again.
You know, unfortunately I tend to believe the bad reviews more than the good reviews. I should probably regard them both the same, which is... Whatever. It's one person's opinion. The problem with most reviews is that they're written in this authoritative voice that never states that it's an opinion. You're supposed to take for granted that it's an opinion, but they're always written as fact, or as mass opinion. I find that really irksome.
I know it might be taking up too much space to have them write "in my opinion" after every sentence, but you might want to throw it in there somewhere, because they come across as if they're speaking for the whole public. And they're really, really not. It's subjective, you know? For every guy who doesn't like the movie, I have another guy who does like the movie. Unfortunately the guy who does like the movie doesn't write for the newspaper.
Personally, I don't think any of this would have come up if Cop Out would have made more money at the box office. Do any of you think that Kevin Smith would have had this twitter-fit if the movie made 100 million dollars or more at the box office? I think he would have looked at those reviews and laughed his ass off.
As a comparison, here is how Quentin Tarantino framed his own problems with critics:
I know more about film than most of the people writing about me. Not only that, I’m a better writer than most of the people writing about me. And I can write film criticism better than most of the people writing about me too.
Now that is how you make a statement about the people reviewing your films... not crying out that they are somehow being mean to you because they are either too elitist or just internet trolls.
And when people tell you to stop complaining and just make a better movie... they mean it.
I wear my bad reviews with honor. He should too.
Tags:
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I Was A Midnight Movie Club Contributor or I Spit on John Cusack
Categories:
podcast
7
Contributions
I was recently a guest on the Midnight Movie Club podcast for that seminal 1980's comedy, Better Off Dead after years of planning and months of rigorous recording.
Listen to my disembodied voice trying to blend into the professional interplay between Lee Sargent from Quit Your Day Job and Dan Hughes of All That Comes With It. Yeah... I'm not good. The two of them are total pros, but me, yeah, I sort of sucked.
So for those of you who never heard my earlier podcasts either here or for Lee back when he was doing things pretty much solo at QYDJ and you want to laugh at me, or you remember Better Off Dead and/or you want to hear me rip on John Cusack, well, go take a listen.
Listen to my disembodied voice trying to blend into the professional interplay between Lee Sargent from Quit Your Day Job and Dan Hughes of All That Comes With It. Yeah... I'm not good. The two of them are total pros, but me, yeah, I sort of sucked.
So for those of you who never heard my earlier podcasts either here or for Lee back when he was doing things pretty much solo at QYDJ and you want to laugh at me, or you remember Better Off Dead and/or you want to hear me rip on John Cusack, well, go take a listen.
Tags:
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Beard... DUN DUN DUN!
I'm not good at a lot of things, but I can certainly grow hair on my face.
I always miss my winter beards when they are gone. I was sporting that back in January.
I grow Galifianakis beards!
I always miss my winter beards when they are gone. I was sporting that back in January.
I grow Galifianakis beards!
Tags:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday Video: Jon Stewart's Epic Glenn Beck Takedown
Categories:
television,
videos
10
Contributions
On Thursday, Jon Stewart did something astonishing. In a long opening segment, he took down Glenn Beck... and took him down hard.
And I loved every second of it. So much so that I had to have it on the Sunday Video in its entirety. And if you remember, Glenn Beck is on my enemies list.
I found the whole clip over at North of Westminster, so you should check out what they are doing over there too.
It was truly a thing of beauty. I want to see what he says on Monday about it.
And I loved every second of it. So much so that I had to have it on the Sunday Video in its entirety. And if you remember, Glenn Beck is on my enemies list.
I found the whole clip over at North of Westminster, so you should check out what they are doing over there too.
It was truly a thing of beauty. I want to see what he says on Monday about it.
Tags:
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Week 45: Pageant of the Transmundane
Categories:
transmundanity
2
Contributions
An elderly Brooklyn couple has been asked to open their door to the police looking for criminals 50 times over the past 8 years. Apparently the police computer shows that 15 other people are living at that residence... when it has only been the two of them living there for years (and they don't know any of the other people the police are looking for.
Anyway, this week's winning entry comes to us from a blog called Eat Skeet.
What got me going this time out? How about a pug dressed as Teen Wolf. I just love how uncomfortable that dog looks.
And because this has to do with werewolves in a vague way, I thought an image from one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes. I thought it worked.
Congrats Skeeter (Trevor). Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Anyway, this week's winning entry comes to us from a blog called Eat Skeet.
What got me going this time out? How about a pug dressed as Teen Wolf. I just love how uncomfortable that dog looks.
And because this has to do with werewolves in a vague way, I thought an image from one of the Treehouse of Horror episodes. I thought it worked.
Congrats Skeeter (Trevor). Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Friday, March 19, 2010
Giving away ad space to my fellow bloggers
Categories:
advertising,
blogging
0
Contributions
For a couple of years now, I've had ad space on my blog, mainly because I wanted to advertise my t-shirt shop... the one that went nowhere, and I made a few bucks from those spaces.
However, there is a lot of downtime for those slots, times when no one is buying ads, and during those times, either my default t-shirt shop ads appear or in the case of my skyscraper, there is no ad.
Seeing that there is space available, and a lot of people I love in the blogging village, I thought I would offer up those spaces during non-paid times to you my readers to advertise your own blogs for free.
As I said, I have three spaces available... the square ad (125 X 125), the skyscraper (160 X 600) and the leaderboard (728 X 90).
So if you want to use the space to advertise what you are doing and you can make a graphical ad in one of those sizes, I'd happily consider running it, as I said, for free.
Drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com, and we will discuss the matter.
However, there is a lot of downtime for those slots, times when no one is buying ads, and during those times, either my default t-shirt shop ads appear or in the case of my skyscraper, there is no ad.
Seeing that there is space available, and a lot of people I love in the blogging village, I thought I would offer up those spaces during non-paid times to you my readers to advertise your own blogs for free.
As I said, I have three spaces available... the square ad (125 X 125), the skyscraper (160 X 600) and the leaderboard (728 X 90).
So if you want to use the space to advertise what you are doing and you can make a graphical ad in one of those sizes, I'd happily consider running it, as I said, for free.
Drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com, and we will discuss the matter.
Tags:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Midweek Video: Telephone Cover
Categories:
music,
videos
4
Contributions
Well, I went years without knowing a Stephani Germanotta/Lady Gaga song... and now I know a couple. Of course, I learned about them on my own terms.
Of course, I went to Pomplamoose for a cover version.
You remember Pomplamoose, don't you? I posted their take on Michael Jackson's Beat It about a month ago.
This time out, they tackled Lady Gaga's Telephone. I think it is likely better than the original.
Classic.
Of course, I went to Pomplamoose for a cover version.
You remember Pomplamoose, don't you? I posted their take on Michael Jackson's Beat It about a month ago.
This time out, they tackled Lady Gaga's Telephone. I think it is likely better than the original.
Classic.
Tags:
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Headed Towards a Burnout
Categories:
blogging
11
Contributions
Well, it looks like I am/was heading towards another bout of blogger burnout here.
I came up with the scale, and yet this burnout sort of snuck up on me too. By my reckoning, I was a couple of weeks away from going full Code Red. And the funny thing was, I actually had to read about someone else's burnout (and institutionalization) in a back issue of How magazine to see the signs that were clearly in front of my face.
I am sure some of you also noticed a few slight changes over the past month or so. You know, the later postings, the shorter entries etc.
Now usually I would take a week off, but I've noticed that whenever I do that, I tend to come back strong for a week or so and then I start going down the same path, and frankly that isn't healthy. So instead of repeating that pattern, I am going to try to work through this like an adult, and set some new ground rules for myself, rules which I must be vigilant in following.
1. I am not obligated to post every day. This one is huge for me. Last week when I didn't post on Monday and Friday, I felt bad, like I was letting everyone down. I have to stop thinking that way. Mainly I have to get off that road because when I post like that, well, the results are inevitably of a lesser quality than it should be. That's not good for me, and that is certainly not good for you, my readers. I guess that deep down, I am insecure and I feel like if I don't post every day, well, no one will be interested in reading my blog. But it would probably be better if I posted less, but when I did post, it was better stuff.
2. Post only when it is something interesting. Looking back to the origins of this blog, I've noticed that almost every one of my first 200 posts or so was qualitatively better than most of the work I've produced over the last year or so. Part of that is fatigue, part of that is related to the post above, but I think most of this comes down to me writing merely for the sake of posting, so I run with things that are less interesting sometimes because it ends up being a quicker post. I'm going to stop doing that. How can I write something that you would be interested in reading if I am going through the motions writing about it? That is day one in creative writing stuff there and I was neglecting that simple rule.
3. Don't compare myself to other bloggers. I do this one all the time. I constantly compare my own posting frequency and quality with that of other bloggers. That is not healthy. I know that, and I've always known that, but it hasn't stopped me from doing so. I look at some of my peers who post a huge number of quality posts daily and it always made me feel like I wasn't doing enough. Of course, this also translates to traffic, another one of those nebulous benchmarks that people judge the success of their blogs against because if you are chasing numbers, no matter what plateau you reach, it will never be enough to satisfy you. I am a numbers chaser at heart, and it is the wrong approach. It isn't a race, it isn't
4. A Better Comments policy. Once upon a time, I was really vigilant when it came to responding to comments on Culture Kills, but somewhere along the line, I sort of lost touch with that tradition, and started to let that slide as well, and for that I am sorry. I mean, I know there are at least 3 entries with comments on the front page or front-page adjacent that I've read and haven't written a response for. That would have never happened in 2006-2008. It was during those first few years that I also left a lot of comments at other blogs and I slowly got out of that healthy habit as well. So, I have to rehabilitate myself... especially since commenting and responding to comments is one of the first pieces of advice I give to new bloggers because it is a communal experience.
5. Open things up to some guest posts. I think out of 1500+ posts here, I've only had one guest post, which wouldn't be a problem, but I've been asking other people if I can get in on their own blogging action, which means I've also been a little hypocritical. I couldn't rightly expect others to open their doors to me if I wasn't willing to do the same here. So, I will indeed be a lot more open to that sort of thing in the future. And with the necessity of collaboration in the upcoming project, well, that would prove to be good practice.
Hopefully by doing those few things, I can head the burnout off at the pass and making my own blogging experience (and yours as readers) a little more enjoyable than it has been recently.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but I am going to have to look out for myself a little more carefully from now on. Hopefully I get everything back on track soon.
I came up with the scale, and yet this burnout sort of snuck up on me too. By my reckoning, I was a couple of weeks away from going full Code Red. And the funny thing was, I actually had to read about someone else's burnout (and institutionalization) in a back issue of How magazine to see the signs that were clearly in front of my face.
I am sure some of you also noticed a few slight changes over the past month or so. You know, the later postings, the shorter entries etc.
Now usually I would take a week off, but I've noticed that whenever I do that, I tend to come back strong for a week or so and then I start going down the same path, and frankly that isn't healthy. So instead of repeating that pattern, I am going to try to work through this like an adult, and set some new ground rules for myself, rules which I must be vigilant in following.
1. I am not obligated to post every day. This one is huge for me. Last week when I didn't post on Monday and Friday, I felt bad, like I was letting everyone down. I have to stop thinking that way. Mainly I have to get off that road because when I post like that, well, the results are inevitably of a lesser quality than it should be. That's not good for me, and that is certainly not good for you, my readers. I guess that deep down, I am insecure and I feel like if I don't post every day, well, no one will be interested in reading my blog. But it would probably be better if I posted less, but when I did post, it was better stuff.
2. Post only when it is something interesting. Looking back to the origins of this blog, I've noticed that almost every one of my first 200 posts or so was qualitatively better than most of the work I've produced over the last year or so. Part of that is fatigue, part of that is related to the post above, but I think most of this comes down to me writing merely for the sake of posting, so I run with things that are less interesting sometimes because it ends up being a quicker post. I'm going to stop doing that. How can I write something that you would be interested in reading if I am going through the motions writing about it? That is day one in creative writing stuff there and I was neglecting that simple rule.
3. Don't compare myself to other bloggers. I do this one all the time. I constantly compare my own posting frequency and quality with that of other bloggers. That is not healthy. I know that, and I've always known that, but it hasn't stopped me from doing so. I look at some of my peers who post a huge number of quality posts daily and it always made me feel like I wasn't doing enough. Of course, this also translates to traffic, another one of those nebulous benchmarks that people judge the success of their blogs against because if you are chasing numbers, no matter what plateau you reach, it will never be enough to satisfy you. I am a numbers chaser at heart, and it is the wrong approach. It isn't a race, it isn't
4. A Better Comments policy. Once upon a time, I was really vigilant when it came to responding to comments on Culture Kills, but somewhere along the line, I sort of lost touch with that tradition, and started to let that slide as well, and for that I am sorry. I mean, I know there are at least 3 entries with comments on the front page or front-page adjacent that I've read and haven't written a response for. That would have never happened in 2006-2008. It was during those first few years that I also left a lot of comments at other blogs and I slowly got out of that healthy habit as well. So, I have to rehabilitate myself... especially since commenting and responding to comments is one of the first pieces of advice I give to new bloggers because it is a communal experience.
5. Open things up to some guest posts. I think out of 1500+ posts here, I've only had one guest post, which wouldn't be a problem, but I've been asking other people if I can get in on their own blogging action, which means I've also been a little hypocritical. I couldn't rightly expect others to open their doors to me if I wasn't willing to do the same here. So, I will indeed be a lot more open to that sort of thing in the future. And with the necessity of collaboration in the upcoming project, well, that would prove to be good practice.
Hopefully by doing those few things, I can head the burnout off at the pass and making my own blogging experience (and yours as readers) a little more enjoyable than it has been recently.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but I am going to have to look out for myself a little more carefully from now on. Hopefully I get everything back on track soon.
Tags:
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday Video: On The Motorway
Categories:
music,
videos
0
Contributions
I love when people make their own videos for songs they love.
This was made by a collective called Dog Food Films for a song by Metronomy, using clips from an old Bicycle safety film. It all seems to have come together rather well.
This was made by a collective called Dog Food Films for a song by Metronomy, using clips from an old Bicycle safety film. It all seems to have come together rather well.
Tags:
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 44: Pageant of the Transmundane
Categories:
transmundanity
0
Contributions
A dude in Ames, Iowa broke into a church to look at pornography on their audio-visual equipment. All I have to say to that is hmmm.
This week's winning entry comes to us from Wandering Goblin.
It is a weird Batmobile. A strangely built contraption, one which in fact defies all expectations for such a vehicle.
And since this week's winning entry has to do with the Batmobile, well, Homer and the Batmobile in the same shot from the Mr. Plow episode seemed to be the most appropriate expression of that theme.
Congrats to Jeff The Sci-Fi Guy and the rest of the staff at The Wandering Goblin. Here is your badge. I would also like to thank John from The Zeray Gazette for submitting this oddity for my perusal.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
This week's winning entry comes to us from Wandering Goblin.
It is a weird Batmobile. A strangely built contraption, one which in fact defies all expectations for such a vehicle.
And since this week's winning entry has to do with the Batmobile, well, Homer and the Batmobile in the same shot from the Mr. Plow episode seemed to be the most appropriate expression of that theme.
Congrats to Jeff The Sci-Fi Guy and the rest of the staff at The Wandering Goblin. Here is your badge. I would also like to thank John from The Zeray Gazette for submitting this oddity for my perusal.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Conan O'Brien going on tour
Categories:
celebrity,
television
2
Contributions
I love the fact that Conan O'Brien's upcoming tour is called "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour"
I think this is a smart move on his part. He is keeping in touch with his audience who are fiercely loyal to him, and helping maintain his presence in the entertainment world.
I'm also pleased that Leno's numbers aren't as good as predicted.
I think this is a smart move on his part. He is keeping in touch with his audience who are fiercely loyal to him, and helping maintain his presence in the entertainment world.
I'm also pleased that Leno's numbers aren't as good as predicted.
Tags:
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
24 likely ending this season
Categories:
television
8
Contributions
While it isn't official yet, there are serious rumors saying that due to production costs, 24 may be ending its run at the end in May at the end of the current season.
If this is true, I think I can accept that decision.
Yes, 24 and I have had some good times in the past, and after the horrific sixth season, I almost called it quits, but I gave it another chance and last season, it didn't disappoint.
But I would be the first one to admit that with so many scenarios being played out on the series, well, there are very few viable threats left to explore, as most of them have already either been foiled or come to pass. For instance, how strong is the bogeyman of a nuclear explosion if one has blown up on U.S. soil more than once.
So yes, I think this might be the right time to wind the show down.
I can laugh about it now, but whenever my sister would call and I would mention 24 was about to start, she'd always quip, "Is that still on?" Well, I guess very shortly it won't be. (And Keith Olbermann is going to have to find a new entertainment whipping boy)
I also realize that with Ugly Betty going off the air this season as well, I am going to be officially out of shows I have to watch weekly for the first time... well, ever, so I get to start next season off with a completely clean slate.
Hopefully Jack Bauer will find the peace he deserves by the end of this day. He looked like he was closest he's ever been in long time recently.
If this is true, I think I can accept that decision.
Yes, 24 and I have had some good times in the past, and after the horrific sixth season, I almost called it quits, but I gave it another chance and last season, it didn't disappoint.
But I would be the first one to admit that with so many scenarios being played out on the series, well, there are very few viable threats left to explore, as most of them have already either been foiled or come to pass. For instance, how strong is the bogeyman of a nuclear explosion if one has blown up on U.S. soil more than once.
So yes, I think this might be the right time to wind the show down.
I can laugh about it now, but whenever my sister would call and I would mention 24 was about to start, she'd always quip, "Is that still on?" Well, I guess very shortly it won't be. (And Keith Olbermann is going to have to find a new entertainment whipping boy)
I also realize that with Ugly Betty going off the air this season as well, I am going to be officially out of shows I have to watch weekly for the first time... well, ever, so I get to start next season off with a completely clean slate.
Hopefully Jack Bauer will find the peace he deserves by the end of this day. He looked like he was closest he's ever been in long time recently.
Tags:
Monday, March 08, 2010
Express Checkout: Latifah, Pilgrim, Space Invaders
Categories:
express,
movies,
video games
3
Contributions
- I love the fact that Queen Latifah has a clause in her contracts now that her character can't get killed off because she realized that if she gets killed off in a movie and they make a sequel, she probably won't be in it. Though having this knowledge now means that any dramatic tension that someone she is playing could die in the movie seems to be gone, and likely, if that clause wasn't in a contract, then she probably would die in that movie.
- Kevin Smith has given Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim movie a thumbs up by saying he didn't screw it up. Was there rumors going around that the geek and pop culture friendly director was somehow about to make his first bomb? I am trying to think of something from Wright's recent past that would make failure an option at this point. Basically, if someone hasn't screwed up yet, I wouldn't assume that they were about to do so prematurely. Let a dude fail on his own terms.
- A Space Invaders movie has been in the works for years? Seriously? How did I not know this, and more importantly, how would you actually make a movie about that one. I mean, there is no story... at all. I mean, Futurama riffed on it, but I think that was about as good as you were going to get on that one. And Will Arnett is/was attached to it.... wow. I don't know what to say.
- Is it just me or did Jeremy Renner look really pissed that he didn't win the Best Actor award last night at the Oscars.
- Kevin Smith has given Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim movie a thumbs up by saying he didn't screw it up. Was there rumors going around that the geek and pop culture friendly director was somehow about to make his first bomb? I am trying to think of something from Wright's recent past that would make failure an option at this point. Basically, if someone hasn't screwed up yet, I wouldn't assume that they were about to do so prematurely. Let a dude fail on his own terms.
- A Space Invaders movie has been in the works for years? Seriously? How did I not know this, and more importantly, how would you actually make a movie about that one. I mean, there is no story... at all. I mean, Futurama riffed on it, but I think that was about as good as you were going to get on that one. And Will Arnett is/was attached to it.... wow. I don't know what to say.
- Is it just me or did Jeremy Renner look really pissed that he didn't win the Best Actor award last night at the Oscars.
Tags:
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Sunday Video: Swede to the Future
Categories:
movies,
videos
4
Contributions
The Back to the Future Trilogy Sweded. All I have to say.
Tags:
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Week 43: Pageant of the Transmundane
Categories:
transmundanity
2
Contributions
A California couple faces 6 months in jail. What did they do to deserve such a punishment? Did they defraud the government? Did they assault a person or an animal? Or did they simply remove their lawn and replace it with wood chips? What sounds like the most ridiculous of those charges... yeah, they did that one.
This week's winning entry comes from the blog Seriously WTF People. With a title like that, you know it is quality transmundane work.
It is a post that makes me ask the question, what the hell did this dude willingly do to his face?
And since this week's winning entry has to do with piercing, well, Homer with Nipple Rings seemed to be the best option available.
Congrats to the proprietor of Seriously WTF People. Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
This week's winning entry comes from the blog Seriously WTF People. With a title like that, you know it is quality transmundane work.
It is a post that makes me ask the question, what the hell did this dude willingly do to his face?
And since this week's winning entry has to do with piercing, well, Homer with Nipple Rings seemed to be the best option available.
Congrats to the proprietor of Seriously WTF People. Here is your badge.
The rules of this little contest: Every week I will be selecting one blog post that I have seen from the vast reaches of the blogging village to bestow with the Homer Simpson Transmundanity Award for being one of the freakiest(in a funny way) things I've seen or read during a 7 day period. It doesn't necessarily have to have been written during the week, I just had to have encountered it. That means that if you find something interesting and repost it like a movie or whatever, if I saw it at your blog first, you get the prize. Of course, creating your own content is also a very good way to win.
This is not a meme. This is an award that I give out, and thus, I am not "tagging" you.
Now, if you see a post that you think is worthy of this illustrious prize, just drop me a line at campybeaver@gmail.com and we'll see if we can't get your suggestion up and award-ready while giving you some credit and a link to your own blog.
Tags:
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Something that is Destined to Become a Porno eventually
Categories:
movies,
television
5
Contributions
There are times when strange thoughts occur to me, and last night while I was taking the dog out for a walk, I was struck by a thought that tickled me a little.
I think at some point there is going to be an homage porno made of the Venture Brothers. You know, like all those other recent sitcom based ones that have been released lately. As I wrote a while back, the trailer for the 30 Rock one made the movie look really interesting.
Now, I have to say this from the start... I don't want to see said movie. I just think given the premise, well, it seems making a porno version of the series would be easy. I mean, watching a pornographic movie for the story is like going to an art museum to admire the interior design choices... yes, it may be nice, but that isn't the main attraction.
With that being said, if Doc Hammer and the crew were game, I could totally see this happening.
I mean, you have these potential pairings.
Brock Sampson and Molotov Cocktease (If ever there was a set of porno character names, there they are).
Dean Venture and Triana Orpheus (you know she'd have the last name Orifice, you just know it)
The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend (who could also have a scene with The Phantom Limb)
Jonas Venture Junior and Sally Impossible
Now, I am trying to think of who would be scratching Rusty Venture's itch in said movie, and a few names spring to mind, but none of them are real winners in my mind. I am sure a scene could be arranged with Dr. Girlfriend too.
Clearly I have too much time on my hands sometimes. Then again, that may be why I may be entertaining.
I think at some point there is going to be an homage porno made of the Venture Brothers. You know, like all those other recent sitcom based ones that have been released lately. As I wrote a while back, the trailer for the 30 Rock one made the movie look really interesting.
Now, I have to say this from the start... I don't want to see said movie. I just think given the premise, well, it seems making a porno version of the series would be easy. I mean, watching a pornographic movie for the story is like going to an art museum to admire the interior design choices... yes, it may be nice, but that isn't the main attraction.
With that being said, if Doc Hammer and the crew were game, I could totally see this happening.
I mean, you have these potential pairings.
Brock Sampson and Molotov Cocktease (If ever there was a set of porno character names, there they are).
Dean Venture and Triana Orpheus (you know she'd have the last name Orifice, you just know it)
The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend (who could also have a scene with The Phantom Limb)
Jonas Venture Junior and Sally Impossible
Now, I am trying to think of who would be scratching Rusty Venture's itch in said movie, and a few names spring to mind, but none of them are real winners in my mind. I am sure a scene could be arranged with Dr. Girlfriend too.
Clearly I have too much time on my hands sometimes. Then again, that may be why I may be entertaining.
Tags:
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Midweek Video: Jumpers
Categories:
music,
videos
0
Contributions
I recently found one of my old MP3 players, and found a copy of this song, which I had almost forgotten about.
Now there is an official video for this song, but I always thought this performance on David Letterman was a better representation of it.
Now there is an official video for this song, but I always thought this performance on David Letterman was a better representation of it.
Tags:
Run DMC may be reuniting!
Categories:
music
0
Contributions
I'm hearing rumors that the surviving members of Run DMC maybe getting back together for the Roots summer festival.
The group broke up after the tragic murder of founding member Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell in 2002. Following that incident, Darryl McDaniels and Reverend Run vowed to never perform again.
I am truly excited about the idea that this may come to pass, even if it is only for that one event, because Run DMC were pioneers in hip hop, and I don't know about you, but it seems like the world has been a little sadder without them as a group (and without Jam Master Jay in general).
I am glad they got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The group broke up after the tragic murder of founding member Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mizell in 2002. Following that incident, Darryl McDaniels and Reverend Run vowed to never perform again.
I am truly excited about the idea that this may come to pass, even if it is only for that one event, because Run DMC were pioneers in hip hop, and I don't know about you, but it seems like the world has been a little sadder without them as a group (and without Jam Master Jay in general).
I am glad they got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tags:
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Poodles: Part of Every Mix These Days?
I was recently looking through ads for dogs, and is it just me, or when people set out to make a canine mix, inevitably Poodles are one half of those mixes. Oddly enough, I found a list (which ends with a joke) that sort of made my point.
I mean, I don't have anything against Poodles, I really don't, but there has to be another breed out there that someone could be throwing into this process.
Now, I am not advocating someone making a hybrid of a Great Dane and a Chihuahua or something equally bizarre, but these crossbreeder have got to get a little more creative.
Just as putting vodka into any random non-alcoholic liquid is not a recipe for drink making, throwing poodles into every crossbreed is also not a great idea.
I know that people want little puffy dogs. But not everyone does, and I hope that in the future there are a few more options available for people looking for combocanines.
Of course, I could always look at other, non-designer mixed options. I am sure the local shelter is full of them.
I mean, I don't have anything against Poodles, I really don't, but there has to be another breed out there that someone could be throwing into this process.
Now, I am not advocating someone making a hybrid of a Great Dane and a Chihuahua or something equally bizarre, but these crossbreeder have got to get a little more creative.
Just as putting vodka into any random non-alcoholic liquid is not a recipe for drink making, throwing poodles into every crossbreed is also not a great idea.
I know that people want little puffy dogs. But not everyone does, and I hope that in the future there are a few more options available for people looking for combocanines.
Of course, I could always look at other, non-designer mixed options. I am sure the local shelter is full of them.
Tags:
Monday, March 01, 2010
Express Checkout: Fox, Ebert, Lewis and Leno
Categories:
celebrity,
express
2
Contributions
- Jorja Fox wants a ban on illegal dog fighting in America. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the fact that it is illegal sort of carry with it that as a practice, it is banned. It still goes on, it is horrible, and such, but I think what Fox and the Humane Society are looking for is for dogfighting to end in any fashion... seeking a ban on something illegal... well, it sounds a little redundant.
- I am glad that Roger Ebert is getting his voice back via technology. He had given up on speaking again after a disasterous series of surgeries following his treatment for cancer, and while the system isn't perfect just yet, it does look like it will allow Ebert to speak in his own voice again.
- People still ask Juliette Lewis about Brad Pitt? Wait, people are asking her questions about something other than the cult she is in?
- Well, tonight's the night Jay Leno returns to late night television. I sincerely hope his ratings are in the toilet.
- I am glad that Roger Ebert is getting his voice back via technology. He had given up on speaking again after a disasterous series of surgeries following his treatment for cancer, and while the system isn't perfect just yet, it does look like it will allow Ebert to speak in his own voice again.
- People still ask Juliette Lewis about Brad Pitt? Wait, people are asking her questions about something other than the cult she is in?
- Well, tonight's the night Jay Leno returns to late night television. I sincerely hope his ratings are in the toilet.
Tags:
Best. Picture. EVER!
Categories:
geekypics,
movies
0
Contributions
An express Checkout post is coming up. I just thought this was worth posting.
Tags:
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