Imagine the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit. NO WAIT...DON'T!!!!! Matt Stone and Trey Parker are in big trouble mister. As much trouble as the late Theo Van Gogh - he was shot and stabbed in 2004 by Islamist extremists angered over a film he had made about Muslim women. That was the threat issued by Revolution Muslim. FYI!
Note to self: do not point fun at the Prophet Muhammad. To me, he was a pretty alright guy.
Did they go too far? What do you think? I'm curious.
Isn't it South Park's job to offend everybody though? I mean, I've seen Jesus box the Devil and I didn't get too touchy. Does that mean that are a little more sensitive to that behaviour than other religions? Or have we become callous and crass sans any respect for religions and cultural identities? Which is it?
There are many things that people get touchy about. And my mother told me that if I should have dinner at a date's house, to stay away from two topics: politics and religion. And what they did fell into one of those categories. But, to be fair, they were not having dinner at the girlfriend's house, they were broadcasting their show to millions across the globe. Does that make it better or worse?
Now, I know true South Park fans probably brush the incident off as melodramatic sensitivity, but those on the other side claim that they were offended and mocked. It's complicated.
Well, I surely hope they don't get 'Theo Van Goghed' as they call it. I wonder if the threat will heed any change in their subject matter, or if the matter is just laughed off. What would the ACLU do?
In many countries, this act would warrant arrest, if not execution, but in America, we have that First Amendment to chill behind. But is there a limit to it? And if there is, did they cross a line they shouldn't have? I know there is a separation of church and state, and I am mighty proud of it. So, can someone mandate that religion should be respected on TV? Would the government be going too far?
You decide.......America.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Why Paul Newman is My Other Hero
Remember my raving about Sr. Pat Burrell several blogs ago? Well, he is a great guy on the field. But Paul Newman is the craziest of all the besties. Not only on the silver screen, but also his charity and philanthropy. He was the founder of the Hole in the Wall Ranch where a camp was run for children with disabilities. Oh yea, and he owned Newman's Own, the company that supplies McDonald's with their salad dressings.
He always looked old.
Have you ever seen Cool Hand Luke or The Sting or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? If you saw 33.3% of that list or more, you also understand that the guy is good.
Check him out.
Why You'll Buy an iPad, and Why I'll Hate You For It
The year was 1976 and Steve Wozniak, a god of modern computing, was putting together computer kits to sell to hobbyists in his garage. The components Woz sold to the Homebrew Computer Club, which alone barely constituted a computer, were packaged as the Apple I, the first product produced by Apple Computer Inc. If you're wondering how this company went from selling computer parts to hobbyists out of a garage to the iCult conglomerate that exists today, it's all your fault. Don't worry, you are not solely to blame for the takeover of Fuhrer Jobs. Anyone who feeds into the reckless consumerism which dominates our market, consumerism that Jobs, in all his snake-oil-selling wisdom, has become a master at exploiting. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some neo-marxist who thinks that capitalism will be the ruination of out country and our souls, well I am a little bit, but I understand the importance of sustaining the consumer/producer relationship and I understand the role of advertising and public opinion in that relationship. What I can't and don't condone is the lack of thought that most consumers put into their purchases, an offense which becomes even more unforgivable in an age where information on everything is more readily available to us than ever before.
When our parents bought a used car they had to basically trust the dealer, or pay for their own inspection, now all you need to do is ask the dealer to "show you the carfax" and all the history of the vehicle is revealed. Shopping around for the best price is a thing of the past, now you simply scan the barcode with your phone and you can see all the prices there and then. So why, in this age of overwhelming information, do people still buy overpriced and underpowered products. I assumed the answer had to do with deep societal issues and maybemaybe an overabundance of choices which lead to the purchase of the most prominent product, and I'm sure those things are factors, however, the overwhelming reasons are laziness and vanity, two vices which are universal across color, creed or local sports team affiliation. Jobs realized these inherent flaws and continues to exploit them; you want to be cool like Justin Long and not a tie wearing nerd like John Hodgman, who doesn't want to dance silhouetted by color, and who has time to see if there are other, better alternatives out there? This commercial looks awesome and is on all the time, therefore, the product has to be good.
This isn't to belittle the achievements of Jobs and crew, the Lisa brought graphical user interfaces to the masses and the iPhone gave the smartphone market the shake-up it needed. However, those successes do not warrant a company coasting for decades on a little ingenuity and alot of market appeal. This also isn't just about Apple, its about all of the companies to whom you give your hard earned money because of the Swedish advertising team they hired and not because of the quality of their product, its our job to keep producers from resting on their laurels as they count our money, we have to push them forward. So next time you're in the market for a tv or blender, fire up your laptop, netbook, or ,God forbid, iPhone and do some research to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. And please don't sue me, Jobs, you know its true.
When our parents bought a used car they had to basically trust the dealer, or pay for their own inspection, now all you need to do is ask the dealer to "show you the carfax" and all the history of the vehicle is revealed. Shopping around for the best price is a thing of the past, now you simply scan the barcode with your phone and you can see all the prices there and then. So why, in this age of overwhelming information, do people still buy overpriced and underpowered products. I assumed the answer had to do with deep societal issues and maybemaybe an overabundance of choices which lead to the purchase of the most prominent product, and I'm sure those things are factors, however, the overwhelming reasons are laziness and vanity, two vices which are universal across color, creed or local sports team affiliation. Jobs realized these inherent flaws and continues to exploit them; you want to be cool like Justin Long and not a tie wearing nerd like John Hodgman, who doesn't want to dance silhouetted by color, and who has time to see if there are other, better alternatives out there? This commercial looks awesome and is on all the time, therefore, the product has to be good.
This isn't to belittle the achievements of Jobs and crew, the Lisa brought graphical user interfaces to the masses and the iPhone gave the smartphone market the shake-up it needed. However, those successes do not warrant a company coasting for decades on a little ingenuity and alot of market appeal. This also isn't just about Apple, its about all of the companies to whom you give your hard earned money because of the Swedish advertising team they hired and not because of the quality of their product, its our job to keep producers from resting on their laurels as they count our money, we have to push them forward. So next time you're in the market for a tv or blender, fire up your laptop, netbook, or ,God forbid, iPhone and do some research to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. And please don't sue me, Jobs, you know its true.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
I Miss You Baby
He made me laugh. He made me cry. Made me dream of that Brady Beau in left field. Harry Kalas broadcasted the glory and defeat of the Phillies. He announced game after game, speaking to every Phillie fan. But this is not about Harry Kalas. I miss him dearly. And I miss #5. That tall, dark, and talented man. My hero. My heroin.
It's been over a year and a half since I have seen Pat Burrell in those pretty pinstripes. He's off now, living the high life.
If you're listening Pat, I don't have a gay crush on you. Promise. You're just a dude doing it. And loving it. And if you're happy, then I'm happy.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Eatin' People
Penguin Group Australia has made a mistake. An Australian pasta cookbook was not properly proofread. My mother would not approve. Her red pens still bring back nightmares. I had the best grammar of any third grader in Winslow Township Elementary School #4 thanks to her.
But my mom did not get to proofread that book. But she would have done a much better job, even if, "...proofreading a cook-book is an extremely difficult task." according to Bob Sessions, head of publishing for Penguin.
A recipe in this cookbook calls for something quite peculiar - salt and freshly ground black people. Not pepper. Damn Aussies.
For full article click http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8627335.stm
But my mom did not get to proofread that book. But she would have done a much better job, even if, "...proofreading a cook-book is an extremely difficult task." according to Bob Sessions, head of publishing for Penguin.
A recipe in this cookbook calls for something quite peculiar - salt and freshly ground black people. Not pepper. Damn Aussies.
For full article click http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8627335.stm
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Big Brother
By: C. Jones
As if the fact that the RIAA and MPAA want to violate your privacy worse than any prom date or doctor ever did wasn't bad enough, the true irony lies in the fact that this comes on the heels of yet another report on the often exaggerated and inaccurate statistics that the two groups cite to show the affect that piracy has on the industry that each represents. These numbers have been called into question time and time again, the most recent claim that the statistics are crap comes from the Government Accountability Office. Not only does the GAO report state that piracy does little to no damage to the media industry, it even makes the claim that piracy can be beneficial because pirates purchase more media. For all the pedestal-sitters and high-horse-riders out there who think that the pirates are simply getting what they deserve, realize that everyone has at least one downloaded song on their computer and if these provisions pass these two titans of the modern age will come after everyone from the hackers to the housewives. They've shown how little public opinion matters to them, it's 1984 and Big Brother is always watching.
Media pirates around the world quiver in their computer chairs at the mere mention of the MPAA or RIAA and with good reason, since 2005 the two organizations have been awarded over $2 million in damages from individuals who downloaded files illegally. These two media consortium are known for going for the jugular of the "everyman" and not caring if it causes some bad press. And if the suggestions they have made to the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement are enacted, they will have a slew of new weapons to add to their arsenal. The most invasive and therefore frightening of these provisions calls for "anti-infringement" software to be installed on all home computers. Though the software is said to be voluntary, it is just the first step on the road to mandatory file sweeps and even more strict Internet monitoring. Also included in this ludicrous list of demands:
- Customs officers "educating" the traveling public about the dangers of piracy.
- Persuading other countries to follow in our tyrannical foot steps.
- Law enforcement treating movie premiers with high priority to prevent copyright theft.
As if the fact that the RIAA and MPAA want to violate your privacy worse than any prom date or doctor ever did wasn't bad enough, the true irony lies in the fact that this comes on the heels of yet another report on the often exaggerated and inaccurate statistics that the two groups cite to show the affect that piracy has on the industry that each represents. These numbers have been called into question time and time again, the most recent claim that the statistics are crap comes from the Government Accountability Office. Not only does the GAO report state that piracy does little to no damage to the media industry, it even makes the claim that piracy can be beneficial because pirates purchase more media. For all the pedestal-sitters and high-horse-riders out there who think that the pirates are simply getting what they deserve, realize that everyone has at least one downloaded song on their computer and if these provisions pass these two titans of the modern age will come after everyone from the hackers to the housewives. They've shown how little public opinion matters to them, it's 1984 and Big Brother is always watching.
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