Fri, 28 November 2008  This week is a total geekfest, as we welcome a new guest to the show. Our friend Cooter is a great consumer of comics, movies and television so naturally his first time on the show is a volcanic mixture of Alan Moore, Star Trek, Batman and a wide array of other subjects. We're hoping you enjoy our new commentator (pardon the audio on his end, we're working on that) and we really want honest feedback on how you think he melds with the show. Depending on what we hear back from you, we may add him as a regular going forward so speak up and be honest. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[8] |
Wed, 19 November 2008  Hey guys, just wanted to drop a quick line and let you know we're taking this week off. I was in Vegas until late Monday, and Lando has been fighting sickness that made him sound like a swamp witch. We'll be back next week at our normal time. Catch ya then! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Fri, 14 November 2008 This week we're starting off with a bit of discussion on the outcome of the election and the sudden death of author Michael Crichton. From there we talk about digital photography and in a larger sense the differing schools of photography. Eventually we get into the idea of 'future proof' technology, then we talk about some of the recent news coming out about Windows 7. Finally, back to politics and the nature of bigotry. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Fri, 7 November 2008 This week we're starting off with a bit of follow-up on our last show, talking a bit more about the nature of creativity and more specifically on the drive that is often key to those who find success in the arts. From there me move into gaming for a bit, talking about how there are too many games which don't bother with innovation and settle for imitation. That discussion leads pretty naturally into the silly battle lines that people draw between franchises (think Star Wars vs. Star Trek) and even further the dangerous potential of zealotry. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[2] |
Tue, 4 November 2008  I sat tonight and watched the coverage of the national election, and for a good portion of it I didn't really react. The recent past has shown that polls are unreliable, and coupled with my inherent view of most people as small-minded and cruel, I didn't have much faith that things would go the way I had hoped and voted for. Still, I watched and waited and as the night went on things started to look good, then really good. Before long it was pretty clear that barring a huge upset there would be a moment of significant American history happening. At around 8:00 PM Pacific Time, the announcement came: Barack Obama would be elected President of the United States of America. Being someone who most days sees little to hope for in the world, I must tell you this was a welcome change in my view of my country. This election will be a moment remembered alongside the moon landing, the Kennedy assassination, the Berlin Wall and other significant slices of time where something truly momentous has happened. For me personally, this is one of the great moments of my life where I see the future I hope for starting to emerge into possibility. I have long seen the terrible faces of hatred, greed, and apathy. Many days those faces were right in front of me. There are the great monsters of humanity, men like Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin, that we all know and rightly despise. It is the smaller monsters, the ones living next door, that we should be twice as afraid of. Those who would kill others in the name of life. Those who would look to isolate others who do not share their concept of sexuality. Those who look upon whatever faith is not theirs and see it as less. Those who view skin color as a reason to fear and hate. These are the true threats to us as a race. The insane butchers tend to be easier to spot, while the quiet rot of the basic evil of man creeps ever closer. Tonight marks a small but important step in the fight against that disease. As a nation, we have now signaled that there is no place in this country that any of us cannot go. Does this election mean the end of racism? Unfortunately, no. As long as ignorance and fear rule over reason and intelligence, racism can never die. But this does mark a day where we have said as a nation that the idea that a person is defined by appearance is past, that it is more important to value a person for what they are than what they appear to be. There's no way to predict the future, and indeed no guarantee that Obama will fulfill the promise of his election. But even if he fails as a President, there can be no denying what he has succeeded in proving for us as a nation. Victory. History. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 11:35 PM Comments[6] |
Tue, 4 November 2008 Voted baby. Oh yeah!  Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[4] |
Fri, 31 October 2008 Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[2] |
Sun, 26 October 2008  Episode 2 of the thirty here for ya. This episode: a review of the recent Dead Space and a bit on the new second generation iPod Touch. Theme Music: "Nature Of The Experiment" by Tokyo Police Club Comments[3] |
Sat, 25 October 2008 THIS is what we need instead of more debates! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 4:48 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 24 October 2008 Well, we had a big, meaty topic planned this week. We figured a short opening, then into the substance. With us, though, even the most menial comments become monsters. We start off with what we planned to be a short discussion on the show music and Warhammer Online, but in no time we're 30 minutes in and still talking about the fantasy genre. Moving on, we wade a bit into the political waters, which always has an element of danger. As we near the close of the show, we talk about the recent improved scoring by 'Elbot' in the Turing test, the dirty Microsoft Santa, and then for a bizarre finale we discuss which creatures in Star Wars are the most appealing...to eat. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[5] |
Fri, 17 October 2008 This week we're starting off with Lando noticing the little audio gem that now officially ends every show. It's been there for a bit now, but only just has gotten noticed and it was worth the wait. After that, we move into World War II, specifically the eerie nature of existing footage of the time and the odder aspects of the perennially damned Hitler. Moving into the present again, Lando gives a brief review of a new acquisition which leads into a discussion on steampunk and its fickle definition. Continuing on, we talk the perception of writers as it concerns their work and we finish by talking about why Heroes needs some saving of its own. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[7] |
Thu, 16 October 2008  Theme Music: "Welcome To Frankfurt" by Charlie Hunter Comments[1] |
Fri, 10 October 2008 Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[6] |
Thu, 9 October 2008 Story 1 – We am not your Boy Wiil wasn’t sure anymore which side was worse; he was only sure of who paid him. He wasn’t one of those soldiers so fragile that grey area could crumble his resolve though. This was a job and if he wasn’t here he’d be somewhere else doing something far less interesting while someone else got paid. In the end, no matter how he had ended up here, here he was, and they paid him. They paid him to do bad things down here in the jungle. They paid him to keep quiet about it when it went wrong and they paid him more to keep quiet when it went right. Technically he was listed as having been honorably discharged, because none of this was actually happening. Wiil was a ghost. Read the entire story... Category: midnight ink with lando -- posted at: 12:00 AM Comments[3] |
Sat, 4 October 2008  The first episode of something new here: just me for half an hour talking about a couple items of interest. This week: a review of the recent Santa Rosa Dennis Miller performance and AC/DC's Back In Black. Theme Music: "Nature Of The Experiment" by Tokyo Police Club Comments[5] |
Fri, 3 October 2008 Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 26 September 2008 This week we continue our discussion of Spore a bit, with some revised opinions and the reasons for our fresh outlook on the game. From there we get more eclectic as we bounce from store secret menus to the British Big Brother program getting an extension, then we move into a little RFID, WarGames and why Canada needs to pep things up. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Fri, 19 September 2008 Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 12 September 2008 As requested, here is one of the videos we talked about on the show: Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[4] |
Wed, 10 September 2008  Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[0] |
Sat, 6 September 2008 Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 5 September 2008 Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Mon, 1 September 2008  Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Sun, 31 August 2008  Hey guys,Just finished a new illustration that I'm planning on submitting to the Threadless Drawing Contest:  Below is the finalized version after some Photoshop cleanup:  If you want to see the creation process, just click on the picture. Oh yeah, once my first drawing comes up I'll be asking you guys to vote on it (if you're Threadless members) to help me out! UPDATED: For legal reasons, I have changed the drawing a bit so if you remember it looking different that's why. I altered the finished product to avoid the whole 'model consent' problem. Joe Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[0] |
Thu, 28 August 2008 My Gods this is is funny, especially if you work in IT.The Website Is Down Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[3] |
Wed, 27 August 2008 Well, doesn't look like we're going to get anybody special on for show 100, but Lando came up with an intriguing idea for the show that I think we'll run with. I'll keep it under wraps, but a decent hint is that it will probably be exactly the opposite of what you normally expect out of us. We're looking to record it this week for a next week release date. Sorry we went a little long on getting the new stuff out, but it was in hopes of doing something extraordinary. Even so, I have some ideas for some future contests and possibly some new types of content for us to give you all, so with any luck show 100 will be the start of some bigger things from us. Hope that whets the appetite! What the hell kind of word is 'whet' anyway? Talk to you all soon! Joe Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[4] |
Thu, 21 August 2008 Hey all,A while back I did an illustration for Ben Grundy at Mysterious Universe, which was originally going to be used (I think) on a special DVD he was going to put out. Since the site unfortunately looks quite dead, I went ahead and submitted the design for critique over at Threadless. My wife's quite a fan of the site, and I have a big liking for the community way they pick shirts. Head on over and give me some feedback on the design, and be honest! I want (if selected) this shirt to be kickass, so tell me what you think of the layout. Thanks! Oh yeah, if you want to see how the design came about, just head here. Joe Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Mon, 18 August 2008 Totally slipped my mind, but that survey company (see button to the right above the RSS 2.0 button) is running a contest for anyone who fills out the survey! Even if you did it already, fill it out again or have someone you know do it and you could a iPod Touch among other things! Sorry I was so late letting everyone know, contest ends on 08/30. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Thu, 14 August 2008 Came across this post this morning, thought of a slightly more fitting tweak on the image: Gave me a chuckle. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Sat, 9 August 2008 So far, it's been a bad year for comedians I admire.As if losing George Carlin wasn't bad enough, today the word came out that Bernie Mac has died after contracting pneumonia. I remember when I read about his illness, and I worried with his existing lung problem if it would be something he might not recover from, but my thoughts were more towards damage to his lungs, not death. When my wife came in this morning with the news, I was shocked by it. I first discovered Bernie Mac when my Tivo accidentally recorded his show instead of another I had scheduled. I watched the show and was so blown away by the stark honesty of the material I instantly got a Season Pass to continually record the show. That Pass still runs as I write this. The show was a brutally honest (and funny) fictionalized take on Mac's real life experiences. Like Roseanne, another show I've come to truly enjoy, The Bernie Mac Show was greatest when it mixed humor and seriousness within the same episode. More than anything, Bernie Mac himself was always entertaining and genuine. After the show, I started to seek out some of the shows Mac had done, and as I mentioned in our last show (our topic timing has been very strange occasionally) I had recently picked up and listened to two of his audiobooks and was impressed with how each book was a vastly different take on the same material: his life. Mac grew up in rough conditions: a mostly absent father, impoverished, and struggling to find success. Along the way, he lost two of the greatest people in his life, his mother and grandmother. It's very poignant that many times in both books he takes several opportunities to mention them both, especially when talking about getting through life's many hardships. Early last year, I saw Bernie Mac on the Tonight Show and he was discussing an impending retirement. I thought right away that if he ever came through an area where I could get to, I'd make sure I saw his act before he stopped doing it. Like Carlin, that possibility is now gone. In a world where we seem to be increasingly paranoid about how we speak and if our words will be used against us, Bernie Mac never stopped speaking honestly. Just within the last few weeks he had caught a little heat from some edgy material at a fund raiser for Barack Obama, and when I read about it I was so annoyed that people expected him to curtail his comedy to be "safer." That was never his way, and in interviews lately he had made a point that the overbearing "political correctness" that has infected our culture was part of the reason he was retiring. Isn't it sad when our fear of frankness leads us to make someone give up what made them great out of disgust?  Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 8 August 2008  This week we're out on the waves with no destination, just bobbing along in the tide as we meander on alterantive learning techniques, failed rocket launches and even the future of keyboards. Between our ineptitude at typing and our tendency to wander way off any topic, it's a wonder we get this show out at all. This will be our last show for a few weeks as we gear up for episode 100, which we're hoping will be something special. Keep an eye on the site for details on what we're working on. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[7] |
Fri, 1 August 2008 This week Lando and myself are talking about the declining desire for intelligence in society, albeit in a roundabout way. We talk about some recent examples of leadership not caring about being obsolete, as well as a seemingly pervasive dismissal of wisdom. Not all is gloom and doom though, as we lead off with some examples of the evolution of learning and how, if sought, pathways of study and intellect are becoming more and more accessible. Opening Music: "Alive WIP v2" by George Carpenter Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 25 July 2008 Just me this week with a big movie review special. I'm going through Wall-E, Hellboy 2 & The Dark Knight. A warning ahead of time, this show is full of spoilers so I've time stamped below where each review ends so if you don't want to find anything out just jump ahead. Enjoy! Spoiler end timestamps: Wall-E - 20:51 Hellboy 2 - 43:31 The Dark Knight - 62:32 Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[2] |
Wed, 23 July 2008 Mash-ups are often boring, but once in a while they strike comic gold! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Fri, 18 July 2008 This week Lando and I are examining the changing terrain of internet law, where innovation and privacy are now at odds with profits and piracy. We'll be talking about the recent FISA bill passage here in the States, the larger war against piracy and even a little bit of gaming as it relates to the concept of software ownership. This time in history is shaping up to be an important one for the internet, in many ways paving the way for the what the internet and our usage of it will be. Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[5] |
Fri, 11 July 2008 This week we're sailing without a compass, just calmly cruising between several items that have caught put interest. We start off discussing Hancock, move into some other big movies on the horizon and before long it's atheist soldiers and bogus lottery tickets! Yes indeed, you never quite know what you'll get when we're blathering away. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[8] |
Sat, 28 June 2008 This week I'm on my own again right before my trip back to NY for the 4th of July week. I'm starting off with the big bad Blizzard announcement, which leads into some ideas on reviving and evolving retro games, as well as success and failure of other game sequels. From there I talk about two major recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and what I think about the issues each one affected. This week's show title may seem random, but it's actually directly related to something I mention in the show. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[6] |
Mon, 23 June 2008 This morning brought some
truly sad news for me, which I’m sure many of you already know: George Carlin
has died. I’m not old enough to know of Carlin’s early work, instead I
discovered him in the mid 80’s when he had already established himself as a legendary
comic with a fantastically cutting wit.The discovery of Carlin was a major developing point in my life, one which helped shape my harsh view of the inequities of life as well as my political outlook. I really credit two comedians in forming my view of the world, Carlin being one and Dennis Miller being the other. While Miller was the mold in which I fleshed out my way of thinking, my “inside my brain” voice if you will, Carlin provided a sense of true analytical disgruntlement, a focused laser of making fun of the world while being angry with disappointment at it. The issues of class, race and poverty that Carlin often touched on have become some of the things I feel most vehemently about today. While Miller has changed his views in many ways, Carlin stayed defiantly concrete in what he felt was the failure of us as a race in general. While I occasionally found his anger a bit too dark even for my liking, in general he merely put on display the things that we all know deep down are true. While we as a people have moments of divine beauty and powerful benevolence, the shadow cast by these acts is no less black at times. One of the moments that summed up Carlin for me came during his appearance, naturally, on Dennis Miller Live. The topic was the military, and as always Carlin was being his brutally honest self. At one point he suggested to Miller that what the soldiers of the various military outfits of the world should do is simply refuse to report en masse. When Miller proposed that punishment for such an action could include death, Carlin responded with “What are they gonna do, shoot them all?” To me, this encapsulated for me the alternate view that Carlin saw everything through. He had let go the convention of a “necessary” military and instead suggested a world without armies. Naïve? Possibly, but it makes you wonder what a world free of the threat of armed conflict might be like. Certainly, we would still have problems but isn’t the notion of a planet without global conflict on the scale of a World War a good one? When I think of the hole left by Carlin, it is his mind and his ability to see things differently that I grieve for. We have not lost a great comic, we have lost a great mind.  Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 20 June 2008 Another mixer of a show this week, as we tackle a wide variety of topics. We start off with the incredible performance of Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open, careen through a review of the The Incredible Hulk and then move into some new and old news items that we think are worth commenting on. A week off, but back on the rails. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Sun, 15 June 2008 Well, I'd planned to do a solo show but time slipped right by me, so we'll just release a standard show in the coming week. Sorry for the gap, was not intended. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 6 June 2008 Bit of everything this week, as we bounce between several different little topics. From bandwidth throttling to the new craptastic plot of Terminator 4, we're covering a lot of ground. We also throw in a little bit of listener mail and have a small request for our audience. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[6] |
Wed, 4 June 2008 No words necessary Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[6] |
Fri, 30 May 2008 This week we're starting out our movie special by taking a look down the road at some upcoming projects, both completed and proposed. "Re-imaginings," remakes and sequels alike come under our reliably harsh scrutiny. It's a mixed bag in this case, with some projects looking very good and others quite poor. After that, we're tackling two recent high profile films: Speed Racer and Indiana Jones 4. We each have very strong opinions on these films, and we're not pulling any punches in either case. Audiences seem pretty divided on these movies, so this will probably be a love-it-or-hate-it show. As always, we want to hear what you think. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Sun, 25 May 2008 This week Lando and I are putting out a short show talking about technology in th workplace. Where does the responsibility lie in a company when it comes to adopting technology and making sure the workers are able to use it? Who makes the decisions on when something like a new version of Office or Windows should be implemented, and what should that process look like? It's a tech-heavy episode this week with your old pals, so sit back and enjoy. Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 23 May 2008 Hey everyone,Power outage kinda rocked the timetable a bit, but the show will be out either late tonight or tomorrow. Have no fear, the show will be here (soon)! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[0] |
Tue, 20 May 2008 See, it's times like this I feel stupid for giving the benefit of the doubt. A few weeks ago I posted an entry where I tried to take a balanced look at 2 stories involving possible police brutality. Then I read this and have to wonder if we shouldn't outfit every cop with a helmet cam just to make sure he doesn't commit murder-by-stupidity.Just makes you angry. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[4] |
Fri, 16 May 2008 This week we're tackling the always amusing topic of "The World Is Ending" predictions. How is it that such a clearly ridiculous concept of people predicting "the end" still has such life? Before that lively mashing of a rather silly idea, we're gonna touch on Iron Man and a little GTA IV. No worries, though, this won't be a repeat of my review show since we pick up some threads I missed on my solo outing. Also, some half-ass audio experimentation by me! This one's got it all baby! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[6] |
Thu, 15 May 2008 Important things to be aware of folks:Jury Clears Former Galveston Photographer Nice score for the 1st Amendment here. Case Leading To DA Resignation Finalized Wait, abuse of power that isn't whitewashed? Are pigs flying? For all the negative things we see, there are still those rare, beautiful moments where justice is served and our rights are protected. Shame it doesn't happen more often, but it's nice to see it at all. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[1] |
Fri, 9 May 2008 This week we're tackling a topic that hits close to home: the fate of the creator. Is the realm of the creative artist being threatened, a climate change afflicting one of the defining characteristics of the human mind? Is the sun setting on the artist? These are certainly tough times for creators, but maybe it's not all gloom and doom. Also, Darth Vader on the rampage with crutches! Enjoy!
Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Wed, 7 May 2008 No words can express how funny this was to me. Even if I wasn't for Obama, this would be a gut buster. The force choke on Dean is a masterstroke. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Mon, 5 May 2008 This week I'm putting out an early solo show special that was originally supposed to be wholly focused on Grand Theft Auto IV, but rapidly changed into a show covering a few topics. Part of it came from a recent obsession of mine with Chernobyl, and part from seeing Iron Man. Don't worry, GTA is still in there but now the stew has been seasoned and a little extra flavor never hurts. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Fri, 2 May 2008 So after a frank (and appreciated for it) comment by Crescendo on our Twitter presence I really sat down and thought about whether there was any real benefit to the site from Twitter.The answer? No. Therefore I have ripped itf out and replaced with something that might actually benefit us: possible sponsorship! You'll notice to the right a giant shiny button that is a link to a survey that could actually get this shipwreck some financial stimulus, and all we need is your help. To get our site considered, we need at least 250 responses and while out audience is small, it is loyal and it's more than that number so this can be done. If you enjoy the show, please take a few minutes and complete the survey. For those who only listen to the show, I'll be mentioning it over the next few weeks. Again, this could really help us out on supporting the show and I don't like the donation model so this is the only other way I see any income to support and grow the show. Help out if you can! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[4] |
Tue, 29 April 2008 Hey guys,Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know what the schedule is looking like for this week. There won't be a regular show on Wednesday, instead I'll be helming a solo GTA IV special that will probably come out on Saturday. I need to have adequate playtime for the big game, and let's hope mine doesn't lock up as some people are reporting. We will have a regular show next week, but in all honestly this week is GTA week for me and I want to sit back and hopefully enjoy the hell outta this game. If not, I also picked Mario Kart for the Wii just in case. Oh yeah, we're now on Twitter! Not sure how much of the output will be worth reading, but feel free to follow us. Have a great week! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[3] |
Fri, 25 April 2008 Today I've had two stories on my mind, both really making me question how I feel about the concept of justice in this country. It's a difficult issue for me, since I have conflicting opinions based on both direct experience and things I've read. Police brutality and abuse of power are some of the worst 'gray areas' we have to wrestle with, since there is no clear way to either classify the problem or solve it.I'm not sure how many of you outside of the United States are aware of the Sean Bell verdict, which has sparked outrage in my home state of New York today. The basics of the story are that a 23 year old black man named Sean Bell was shot 50 times outside of a Queens nightclub in November of 2006 by 3 police officers, one of whom fired 31 rounds. The officers have said they believed that one of Bell's companions was reaching for a weapon, although once the smoke cleared no weapon was found. The judge in the case who cleared the officers today said that the testimony was simply not convincing or consistent. Apparently part of this is in relation to a large wrongful death suit being filed by the family, with the intimation being that some of the witnesses called being motivated more by money than truth. The verdict sparked anger within the black community, once again raising the specter of racism within the police force. The other story that caught my eye today was that of a Chicago man who has died after being tased by police officers outside of a bar. This is an ongoing story and not all the facts are out, but if nothing else this is another story that emphasizes the fact that the Taser is potentially as lethal a weapon as a gun. In this case, the police have said that the man was not obeying orders and was in fact fighting with officers. Again, this story is in the early stages and there may be more facts to follow on exactly what led to the Taser being employed. Both of these stories make me truly struggle with my opinion on the police, and by extension the notion of justice, in this country. We have seen story after story detailing the excesses and mistakes by those in uniform, and we have also seen countless stories showing courage and valor and the true conflict lies in discerning what happens in between. From the one angle, the Bell and Chicago stories both could be read as officers using necessary measures to ensure their safety, and I believe that an officer must place his safety as a top priority. Can any of us look one of these men or women in the face and honestly say, "I think you should err on the side of being hurt just in case you're wrong?" I know I can't. As many of these stories as we read, we also know that officers are shot in routine traffic stops and gunned down trying to protect the innocent. That said, I must tell you that I found it remarkable that during the after verdict press conference only Detective Marc Cooper seemed to display emotion and actually apologize to the family sincerely. The other two officers and the man who conducted the press conference seemed indifferent to the man killed, if not defiant about the verdict, saying "I spell 'relief' N-O-T G-U-I-L-T-Y." Now I realize that the police department is a family, and this man is happy to see that a brother has been acquitted, but is this really the statement to make in the case of an innocent man being killed by the police? Yes, it's very possible this was a mistake but the victim was unarmed and was due to be married in a few hours. Could they not manage a little bit more sensitivity, if only for the public? To me it smells of a sense of police infallibility, and maybe that should tell us something. As for the Chicago case, since the details are still emerging I have less of a sense of who was more in the wrong here, but there have been an increasing number of these Taser deaths that at the very least should make them the last resort just before drawing a gun. While they may not be lethal by design, they clearly have a lethal potential. It is really only intent that separates the Taser from the Glock, the potential is equal in both weapons. The Taser simply should not be used as casually as it seems to be. Is it really any wonder most Americans don't believe in law and order anymore? We face frivolity and disgrace in the courtrooms and potentially murderous behavior from those sworn to protect. Again, this is not the rule but any system must be judged by the weakest of the links that form it and by that measure we have a lot that needs fixing in the "greatest nation in the world." I wonder if we'll have the bravery and maturity to do it? So what do you think? Have any of you experienced either the true promise of justice or the dark side of the perversion of law? Please comment and let me know, or just chime in with your thoughts. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[2] |
Wed, 23 April 2008 This week we're doing another show about nothing, just cause that's the kinda week it's been. Don't worry, we've got plenty to talk about and despite being sick my voice holds up pretty well. Sit back, relax and enjoy some fine dining from the good folks at Casa Del Ozone. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[3] |
Wed, 16 April 2008 This week we thought we'd have a short show since we had almost no time to prep a topic. Instead, we've got a slightly over 2 hour blender of both serious and silly content. From the ability to copy your brain into multiple bodies to the flavor of the Eucharist, this show hits every corner of the pinball table. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[1] |
Wed, 9 April 2008 This week we're back at full steam and taking on one of the truly sensitive issues of our time: racism. We've touched on this topic before in previous shows, but with the intensity of the recent flap over comments by the Rev. Wright, we felt the time had arrived to tackle the issue head on. It's a tough topic, and like anything based on opinion and personal feelings there's no one solution that fixes everything, but both of us feel that the issue is no longer discussed with much honesty. In that regard, we don't expect anyone tuning in to agree with us so much as to hear what we're saying and think about it. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[2] |
Wed, 2 April 2008 This week I'm on my own, making another shaky attempt at holding down a show with no wingman. Just like the cyclonic pinball that is my mind, there's no one direction or topic for this show, more a collection of musings from some recent events. You'll notice I'm playing around with some new music for the show opening and closing, so let me know what you think. Enjoy! Opening Music: "Alright" by Flower Of Cables Closing Music: "Blau.ton" by Rauschwerk Comments[2] |
Wed, 26 March 2008 This week we've got a 3 hour tank of a show for you, covering a lot of ground. We're discussing our current 'Best Of' list, which covers all forms of media and hopefully doesn't tread the same typical ground as other 'Best' lists. Some of our choices will be pretty easy to predict, but others may surprise you. I originally thought of splitting the show up into parts, but honestly there was no natural break in the flow of the discussion so I opted not to force it. Also, congratulations to our winners for the wallpaper contest! Both winning entries are linked below for you to download and enjoy!  Wallpaper by Kevin from the Phillipines Download at 800 x 600 Download at 1024 x 768  Wallpaper by Andrew from Australia Download at 800 x 600 Download at 1024 x 768 Download at 1280 x 1024 Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[10] |
Wed, 19 March 2008 This week Lando and I are discussing the increasingly thin material that constitutes the truth in this day and age. With the advent of blogging, Wikipedia, and the amazingly malleable nature of all web content is it any wonder that the concept of fact is losing all meaning in our world? And the situation in the real world is getting just as dicey, with reporters dropping to their knees ready to abandon all honor before the beauty of the Mighty Ratings. Can there even exist words like 'fact' or 'truth' when things seem to be true one day and a hazy memory the next? Where The Wild Things Are clip Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[4] |
Wed, 12 March 2008 Hey guys,Joe here with a quick request for our excellent community. I'm in a contest on the Mimobot site to win one of their new custom USB flash drives, and I need your help to do it! How can you help? Just go to the contest page on the Mimobot site and scroll through the entries until you see this one:  Yeah, it's corny, but I was in a rush to get an entry in early. In any event, just move your mouse over the clovers and when they're all highlighted like in the above image, click! That's it! You've done your part in helping me get closer to winning a Mimobot! As always, thanks for being a part of the show and particularly for helping me out with this! Joe Category: General -- posted at: 10:01 AM Comments[7] |
Wed, 12 March 2008 This week we're taking an alternate look at a topic that we touched on once before: the environment. As before, though, we're not debating the issue of whether we are damaging the environment but rather whether we even can damage this planet of ours. Do we as a species possess the power to alter the planet, and within that question can we do anything to improve it? The Matrix Resurrection: Should There Ever Be A 4th Matrix Movie? Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Wed, 5 March 2008 This week it was tough to categorize the show, since we covered a lot of various ground. In essence, though, we started with the idea that nothing is sacred anymore. The starting point for the show was the abominable progress on the American version of the anime classic Akira. Early details on the production have driven us both insane, as they show little regard or understanding of the source material. This started us wondering if there is any reverance for anything on this planet anymore. We're also going to post the wallpaper contest results so keep an eye out! Here's the page of 300 gifs I had a heart attack laughing at. Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[3] |
Wed, 27 February 2008 This week is a kind of half and half show, where we have a topic that we feel is important to discuss but likely not meaty enough to dominate the show. Rather than tank the idea, we're going have run our ramble a little longer than usual and then spend the remaining time on the mini-topic. Don't forget, this is the last week to get your wallpaper submissions in! Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[2] |
Wed, 20 February 2008 No show this week. I ran out of time for even recording, much less
editing, so we'll be back next week. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Enjoy
your week! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[0] |
Wed, 13 February 2008 This week I'm on my own, so be forewarned. No real overall topic, just a near hour long mix of things bouncing around the empty cavern of my skull. Politics, the Terminator TV series and Godzilla....yes, these all belong together don't they? Egon said it best: "Short, but pointless." Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[4] |
Wed, 6 February 2008 This week we're doing a little viewer mail before delving into our topic: the nature of war within cyberspace. So much of our lives tied to the internet, and in this increasingly interconnected society what does conflict consist of when the battlefield is entirely virtual? Is there any such thing as war online, or is it more like a giant game of Battleship between faceless combatants? Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Thu, 31 January 2008 OK, so here is the details of the desktop wallpaper contest: we're
looking for a desktop wallpaper to make available on the show site for anyone
to download and use. There are basically no restrictions to the design, we're
looking for anything and everything. Below this post you'll find some of the
imagery used on the site that you can re-purpose for the wallpaper or make something
entirely independent on your own. Once we have all the submissions in, we'll
post them here and have the community vote on a winner. The vote will be done
by email, a secret ballot of sorts, and the contest deadline is now March 1st
since I was so late posting this entry with the details. Entries can be sent to
the show email, linked into a blog entry, or made available as a download
either Lando or myself can get to. The prize is small but significant: our
first show themed silicon wristband and a prominent place as the official
wallpaper of the show. Be as creative as possible and email any questions if
you have them! Enjoy!Lando Post Art Joe Post Art Header Source Photo Boombox Art Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:42 AM Comments[1] |
Wed, 30 January 2008 This week we've got a blockbuster on our hands, an all out action bonanza that will blow you away! Nah, not really, but it was a fitting start to what we are covering: our list of truly notable directors. We go through a good group of old and new directors, some with huge bodies of work and others just starting out, but all quality. Of all the 'list' shows we've done, this one may generate some delicious dissent among our listeners. There are a few obvious choices, as there always are, but I think we popped a few surprises in the mix as well. As always, let us know what you think! Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Wed, 23 January 2008 This week Lando and I are starting out talking about Scientology, which seems to be popping up in the news a lot lately. Is this really a religion, or simply a cult with a better bank account? After that, we're taking stock of the recent MacWorld Expo, where the big announcement was the slender MacBook Air. The two of us will examine this newest laptop addition to the Apple fleet, as well as the other big announcements of the show. Is the new crop of Cupertino specials worth raving about, or is there really very little to notice this time around? Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Wed, 16 January 2008 This week we're taking a trip through CES after my recent visit in Las Vegas to the monstrous technology show. While it is a true behemoth that is in grave danger of being crushed beneath its own weight, it still produces a few gems among the sewage. Lando and I are taking a look through my notes on the show at some of things I thought were noteworthy, from huge TVs to the Blu-Ray bomb that was dropped. It's most definitely a demented circus that happens out in Vegas, and we're putting it under the microscope. Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Wed, 9 January 2008 Well, our first show of the year did not quite turn out as expected. First off, I'm in Las Vegas for CES and recorded on a rickety internet connection and my old headset, which sounds a bit like a Volvo gunning through a tunnel in first gear, so apologies for the quality on my end. Secondly, we never did make it to the topic we planned, again rambling on for over an hour. If not for the positive email about our ranting and the great flow of these aimless tirades, I'd be worried about us. Hope you all had a good New Years Eve, and enjoy the show! Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Sat, 5 January 2008 Just
checking in with a small update. You've probably already guessed that we're not
going to have a show this week, which is largely my fault as I didn't
anticipate that my traveling would wipe me out so much. We should be
back as usual next week, but I'll be at CES in Las Vegas this week so we may
have a push there too. My trip back to NY was a great time, got some relaxation
in and also managed to hit the most fantastic Chinese Food place on the
planet, which I always make time for when I'm back east. I actually made
sure to post a very favorable review of the place on my Yelp! page. Yelp! is an
awesome little site that has some brutally honest reviews of restaurants,
stores and other stuff. I've found that while I have no tolerance for generic
social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, more specific social sites
have a lot to offer. Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 9:44 PM Comments[0] |
Wed, 26 December 2007 |
Wed, 26 December 2007 This week Lando and I are discussing a topic with two very different approaches, each of us being very familiar with one side. We're talking about the idea of buying or building a new computer, and the benefits and risks associated with going either way. Lando has a thorough history in the area of buying pre-built machines, and I have been building systems for years for not only myself but others. This isn't so much a "which route is better" discussion, but instead a study of the inherent factors that play into both choices. Because of the show length and the clear break where we switch from one topic to another, we've broken the show into 2 parts, this first one covering our standard pre-ramble and buying a pre-built computer. Enjoy the show and your holidays, whatever they may be! Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London
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Wed, 19 December 2007 This week Lando and I are taking a hard look at the sophomore run of one
of our favorite shows, Heroes. While Season 1 was an almost ideal
example of how to make a superhero show, Season 2 was...well, less than ideal.
A minor spoiler warning here, we do discuss in vague detail some major plot
points as we examine what went right and what went wrong in this second season.Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab Comments[1] |
Mon, 17 December 2007 Yeah baby! Category: Blog Post -- posted at: 10:00 AM Comments[4] |
Wed, 12 December 2007 This week we're coming to you fresh from some of the slimier basements of the internet, where the subject matter gets into very shady territory. One example is the infamous '2Girls1Cup' video, which I originally planned to watch and post a reaction video to in time for this show. After our discussion and some thinking about it, I decided against it but it highlights some of the ideas within the show: what drives us to watch these videos, and what does that say about us? Is this obsession with 'shock video' something we need to be concerned about or is it a natural evolution of our culture? What becomes the ultimate 'shock video' when we keep trying to top the last one? Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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Wed, 5 December 2007 Some weeks we think we have a great topic, and at the last minute we're both sitting at the mic and the topic just feels dead as a fish, not interesting or fun. We used to stress about those moments, now we turn them into shows where we whine about whatever is on our minds! Enjoy! Opening Music: "Fire In The Sky" by Dave London Closing Music: "ET" by Peplab
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