p e n g u i n d e v i l

Well two really. Two complaints.

One is, we bought this Samsung Syncmaster 997df CRT Monitor a couple of years back. Yes, I feared Samsung and, of course, wanted something fancy like a NEC or somesuch (I don’t really like the looks of LCD screens)… But we were swayed. We were swayed by two factors…

1) it was the cheapest 20″ (or something) monitor they had that wasn’t total crud and

2) it actually seemed to have a really nice picture…

So after all this time? What can I say? Well the picture is great! It is bright and richly colored and it’s never had the slightest problem!

The problem is the other monitors out there! I have this blog colored oh so very nicely in black and shades of gray… The screen shots are well colored, deep and rich. but when I go elsewhere (usually work) and view it, the dark pictures are so dark as to be indistinct and the headers and darker gray text is nearly invisible. And at work, we have generally nice monitors… big new NEC’s and all that. Anyway, I’m trying to brighten up the text, but it’s hard, because it looks so nice at home… Which, of course, is where I do this.

Complaint number two? This week I started listening to my pal Jon’s college radio show. I know… And (You’re thinking…). Well, the college that he works at is in New Zealand, so it’s been my first experience with Internet Radio, since I listen to it here at MUNTFM. In a strange timing situation, the next day I read about this atrocity, another horrible example of corporate greed and (yes) fraud and their government lap dogs…

The RIAA managed to scam through some (one would assume) corrupt judges with their heads stuck back in the 1950’s, a law requiring internet radio to pay more royalties than regular radio stations but also, and this is the killer part, also pay royalties to the RIAA for music that isn’t controlled by the RIAA. In other words, all music streamed over the internet radio stations will need to pay high royalty rates to the RIAA, no matter what the music is or who owns the rights to it. Of course, this is so absurd that it almost defies comment. It brings back memories of when they shut down mp3.com on some trumped up “piracy” charge when any one who spent time there knew that most of the music up there was placed there by the artists themselves and most never had any form of commercial release. Hopefully their next step will be admitting that they just can’t stand anyone listening to music or making music or making money from music without them getting the lion’s share of the money. I wonder if you would be sued by the RIAA if you made an original song and broadcasted it from your own website?

Anyway, enough from me. More and better opinions and details are available at:

Of course, Wil Wheaton at SuicideGirls

Bit-Tech

WebProNews

DailyKos

TechDirt

Newsweek

And

Save Net Radio

Back in my raucous teen years, I suffered a number of debilitating addictions. They varied in degree but there was one, short lived (just a few months of ’85), that was overwhelming. Conveniently, it was also inexpensive, only a nickel for each short fix. I would pursue it all the day long and then, come nightfall, the sounds would stream through my head keeping me awake: the commanding voice… the cracking of the whip. After pondering it rarely in the decades since then, I have suffered a small relapse… Through an enabler known as Macmame. Luckily, my interest is no where near the level of my teen years, but there is certainly an entertainment value remaining. Yes, I have again been traipsing through the caverns of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Back in the day, I was the king apparent of this game, though unlike the other games I played well that were more popular (Digdug, Robotron 2084 and Burgertime), I always suspected that my domineering skill at this was due to the fact that I seemed to be the only person who ever played the machine. Somehow, even with the grand new technologies, something about these good old boys really sits right with me. Though you “need” to own or buy the right to use these old ROM’s, there is an amazing treasure trove of memories waiting out there in the iAether…

avoid instant death…

After that excitement though, there are the movies. Sadly the movies I have to contribute aren’t exactly inspiring much. I will get around to watching something more interesting soon, I hope. I ended up watching A Civil Action. I’m not really one for legal drama’s and this was wasn’t too exciting, but I do appreciate anything that brings attention to corporate corruption, so I appreciated it on that angle. But it was actually a fine, fairly interesting story and I thought Travolta did fine in the lead role as an attorney who get involved in a “families versus corporation” environmental pollution case. Though it’s based on a true story, I still couldn’t help but feel that they went a bit overboard exaggerating the extent to which these lawyers sacrificed for this case. But what I really came away from the movie thinking is: Wow, what a cast. They even drug John Lithgow out for it. It had good roles for William H Macy and Robert Duvall (who was as good as always, even if his character was a bit too frustrating and though they overplayed his little mannerisms) and Gandolfini did a good job (Even after watching 20-odd seasons of the Sopranos, I was capable of seeing him as someone other then Tony). On the other hand, Tony Shalhoub (who I have been fond of ever since Big Night) seemed wasted in his bit part… Lot’s of screen time as one of the lawyers dragged along by Travolta, but little dialogue and character. So, you know, the movie was alright.

We then watched yet another Stephen King job. This time, a real feature film! The Dead Zone. Possibly the least engaging King one yet. Certainly not as bad as The Stand (and certainly not as entertaining as it either…), but not particularly interesting. Though it is another one with an eye-catching cast. The story of a fellow who lands in a coma for five years after a car accident and then comes back with the ability to get flashes traumatic events in peoples futures. This ability ends up leading him down a pivotal path and Christoper Walken, as Johnny, has to come to terms with his new power as a gift, a curse or both. Walken, while a wonderful actor, is better suited as a character actor in a supporting role. I just don’t get him as a lead, his intensity is too intense, and I don’t think his characters are believable enough if you flesh them out too much. It also starred Brooke Adams, who was disturbing due to how familiar she looked (it must have been from an old favorite, Gas Food Lodging), but the worst was Herbert Lom, who, while I like him and he did a dandy job, I just could not stop picturing Dreyfus from the Pink Panther movies whenever he was on the screen.

Oh yes and, after a too long break, I went on another hike.

The exciting details live here:

Devil’s Rest