Canadian Steampunk from 1978

Note the Calgarian steampunk skirt-lifter. Fantastic!

For Ricardo

Ricardo Montalban. 1920-2009

What I am: iPod Meme

They say one's music collection says a lot about a person. Sorting one's music collection by song title is something a non-OCD person would not do before the digital age. Now, with the predominance of the mp3 format, one can do this readily and it creates an interesting piece of self-discovery poetry.

Mine is a tale of love, loss and lycanthropy.

I'm a Boy
I'm a Mason Now
I'm a werewolf baby
I'm beginning to see the light
I'm free
I'm gonna crawl
I'm having a party
I'm not down
I'm only sleeping
I'm so bored with the U.S.A.
I'm telling Tim
I'm tore down
I'm your Man
I'm your moon
I've got the world on a string
I've seen the land beyond
I am a rock
I am stretched on your grave
I am the Highway
I am the Walrus
I can't explain
I can't quit you baby
I can see for miles
I did my best
I don't care about you
I feel it all
I fought the law
I get lonesome
I had my chance
I hate California
I hate the TV
I hear you calling
I just don't know what to do with myself
I just wanna have something to do
I know you
I love myself today
I need to be loved
I only want to be with you
I saw her standing there
I wanna be like you
I wanna be sedated
I wanna be your boyfriend
I wanna live
I want something more
I want to be the boy to warm your mother's heart
I want to conquer the world
I want to tell you
I want you
I will survive
I won't lie down


Who are you?

Year in Review: 2008 Films

Once again I list the best films from the past year. That is to say, I list the only new films I see in a given year and lament that I haven't seen more. Notable films I missed include the X-files film, and Hellboy 2. These were on my "must see" list, which is now the "must rent" list. Every year I try to see more films, but still average about one a month.

Presented in viewing order:

• Be Kind Rewind
• The Spiderwick Chronicles
• Iron Man
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• The Incredible Hulk
• Get Smart
• Wall-e
• Dark Knight
• Star Wars: Clone Wars

It felt like a really good year for blockbuster summer movies, with many solid franchise films. Most films listed here are huge successes, that have garnered enough ink and publicity and more fauning praise from me will do little to boost their appeal.

On the other end, however "Be Kind Rewind" is a really fine, underrated film by Michel Gondry. I hope the rental/iTunes/Netflix market gives this film the exposure and acclaim it deserves.

Previous Year's Film lists

• 2007
• 2006

Sci-Fi Connections

Stephanie Fox at io9.com has created a brilliant piece of Chart Porn connecting as many TV shows movies and video games as possible. Their methodology includes several kinds of crossovers: Direct Crossover, where characters from one series or another have actually met in a story; Easter Eggs, where elements of one series have appeared in another (often as geeky in-jokes), and Brand Crossover, where market forces have brought two disparate things together for no good reason, such as Transformers/Star Wars.

I can't find where they actually document each branch, which I assume has been left as a exercise for us geeks at home.

[Link io9 Chart]

Previously on Slashboing:

• Centre of the Television Universe
  

Tiki Bar TV: Lala Showers

Getting ready for a Tiki night on short notice, I found this little gem from Dr. Tiki, of Tiki Bar TV.

I present: Lala Showers.

Gatsby if you can: Twenties Roar January 23rd

The 11th annual Bill Brooks Prostate Cancert Benefit has a Twenties/Great Gatsby theme. This would make a very interesting outing for the Calgary Anachronauts.

However, the tickets are $250 which may preclude many from attending.

Information and tickets

---

Add from "24 Hours"
05 Dec 2008

Fandom loses a legend: Forrest J. Ackerman

Forrest J. Ackerman died December 4th 2008 at the age of 92. I didn't know him personally, but I knew his reputation.

He coined the term "sci-fi" and wore a homemade costume to the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York City in 1939. His collection of movie memorabilia and props was second to none. He was a writer, editor, literary agent and actor.

He was inclusive in his fandom and passionate to the end. In a time when one is quick to elevate one branch of fandom over others, it is important to remember that the first fandom was inclusive and diverse.

He was the giant that lifted my fandom up so I could see farther than I ever would have alone.

• Wikipedia article
• Sci-Fi Slacker article
  

Star Wars Misters: Really?

From the "slap a Yoda on it" branch of Lucasfilm Licensing, comes these "compact, cool" Star Wars misters.

Does anyone else feel this is an un-needed branded product?

[Wireless Catalog]

Hat Etiquette

As one who enjoys wearing a hat, I find it difficult to maintain the proper etiquette in the modern, relatively hatless world. By even the loosest interpretations of hat etiquette the hat is not worn inside and especially not at the table. Since one does not spend a lot of time sauntering down the avenue in the modern world, the hat spends less time on the head then is enjoyable. It is worn from the house to the car, from the car to the venue, and back. In the interim, it is sitting in ones lap or held in ones hand.

The decline of daily hat wearing by the boomer generation means a decline in hatcheck rooms, hatcheck girls, and hat racks. This means some often creative and awkward stashing of ones chapeau. Even after balancing a porkpie between my knees for a rather long and cramped dinner, I never thought of putting it on my foot. Given the included instructions in this photograph, it is a common problem among new hat owners.


more the engrish

Guitar hero on a bike

This video makes a great counterpoint to anyone who thinks games like Guitar Hero don't promote real world skills.



Being awesome is a skill.

David Lynch on the iPhone

This is an interesting short from David Lynch bemoning the trend of watching art through the wrong format. It was a clip from the Inland Empire limited edition DVD that someone spoofed into a backhanded iPhone commercial. He drops the F-bomb, so adjust your volume accordingly.



The interesting collision of the iPhone and Youtube has created a series of videos that simultaneously support Lynch's point, and show that the device has its own unique art forms.

• First degree of separation
• Second degree of separation
• Third degree of separation
• Fourth degree of separation
• Fifth degree of separation

I think it is interesting that people will gladly watch tiny, pixelated, and compressed movies online. It shows that quality and unique content can outweigh screen resolution and sound quality.

Slinky Cat is Slinky

Slashboing Election Night coverage

Here is the Slashboing Election Night Coverage. This is the best I can I do with my current operating budget.



ETA:

Obama is the projected winner with 284 electoral votes. That calls for one thing.

Dancing!

John Williams a cappella tribute

Lip syncing to the vocal sylings of Moosebutter, Youtube user ApprenticeA creates a great tribute video to Star Wars and John Williams.

Lets watch!

Happy Halloween!

Jack O'Lanterns 2008
Originally uploaded by Drhaggis.

We have finished carving our Jack O'lanterns for this year. We have a mix, some complex stencils, some simple ones and a stem-nose.

Also to note twitter is supporting image replacements for some cool Halloween emoticons. I reprint them here for reference and mayhem:

`@

(|:|/)

////Ö\\\\

>o<

8-#

∑:*)

+-(

[:-]-I-

( | )

}:o{

<|:~(

X-/

:-[

Greatest Hits on Twitter

Since I started using twitter, a good portion of my blogging energy has been funnelled there in the form of 140 character epigrams. What does that mean for people who only read Slashboing? They are not getting the full force of my wit. To sooth them in this time of need, here are my better tweets from the month of October.

• I usually don't condone this sort of thing, but...Ninjas: http://cheesyninjas.ytmnd.com/
• Watching Mythbusters is more fun when you superimpose the unrequited love triangle between Kari, Grant and Tory.
• The "h" key on laptop is less responsive. I thought the 'I's were the first to go.
• Watched Fringe. They confused voltage and current, electricity with magnetism, and science with fairydust
• Sontaran neck hole + Captain Jack = Doctor Who Rule 34
• White Chicks and Gang Signs: http://tinyurl.com/2op5bl
• Airplane on a Conveyor belt: The plane takes off, the pilot marries her true love, though the deposit on the conveyor is lost.
• Shock of the Decade: Steve Guttenberg working continuously. I thought he fell off the earth in 1990. There was a ceremony and everything.
• Reading about things on Wikipedia, then seeing if I can buy them on ebay. Someone come up with a cool term for that, Quick!

Feist in Calgary

I have just returned from the long awaited Feist concert. It was a really good show! Her minimalist stage setup suited her sound really well. The major set piece was real-time interpretive shadow-and-light performance on the backdrop, which often echoed elements from her music videos.

It was hard to shoot photos from where I was sitting, and I often used my zoom simply as a set of opera glasses. I did manage to catch a few moments that I will share with you all on flickr. A sample:



Concert Photo set: http://tinyurl.com/feistphotos

World Travel Meme

The "world travel map" meme is making the internet rounds again, so an update is in order.


visited 13 states (26%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

It is very difficult for me to do the "what countries you visited" list because I went through Eastern Europe in the late 80's. I went through "Yugoslavia," not "Bosnia and Herzegovina."


visited 23 states (10.2%)
Create your own visited map of The World

Previously on Slashboing

• States I have visited 2006
  

Vin Diesel and Dungeons and Dragons

I simply must repost this video I saw on John Hodgman's Blog. Everything we thought about Vin Diesel is true.