Sky's rag 'news' division has published an exposé of paedophilia in the online virtual community 'Second Life'.
This is an odd one. Click for story.
For those unfamiliar with 'Second Life', it's pretty much a virtual world where people create an new 'self' and live out a second life in a huge online video game where anything is possible. It's hugely popular (currently it has 9 million residents), and getting more so. People are making a living (in the real world) by providing goods and services in the game. Recently the music industry has gotten on board by holding Second Life concerts and using the system to launch albums. Now Sky News has discovered that paedophiles are using the site to virtually abuse children. Weird.
People are logging on and creating their characters in the form of kids, then getting up to all sorts of dirty crap with other avatars (virtual folk). Obviously this isn't the only illegal stuff that goes on in Second Life, all sorts of craziness goes on in it, because I suppose it's fundamentally an outlet for people to do things they can't do in the real world- be that having a different appearance or having filthy fetish sex in clubs. I guess it's no different from the likes of Grand Theft Auto, but possibilities limitless as all the content is user created so doesn't have to be pre-written by programmers.
See Politicians & Celeb's views on online Paedo-games in the below video courtesy of Chris Morris (skip straight to 3:10):
Just watching the Sky report, the similarities between it and this BrassEye satire are striking.
Also look out for the reporter's injection of some of his own speculation into this factual report. 'They could probably use the site to exchange real images of paedophilia with each other, if they wanted to.' That's a different story, Sky's intrepid Jason Farrell, that's child pornography.
So are there any actual children involved? No.. Is it illegal? No. Hmmm... Is this weird and screwed up behavior? Sure. It's depraved. But then we have the idea of: 'is it not better that these people are acting out these desires through a computer game, rather than in real life?'. There is psychological research (i really should know how to look up exactly what it was) into the notion of whether 'letting off steam' (so to speak) cathects intent or nurtures it. I can't reference what the exact findings were (sorry!), but I do remember being told that it was far from an open and shut case. That said, I don't think that this should be encouraged, but simply that there must be a question mark over this issue.
But of course, Sky News leads the way in rallying the sheep onto the streets, flaming torches in hands, baying for the blood of the paedophiles, or is it terrorists today?
Virtual Paedophiles?!?
Arnold's Drug Law Confusion
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has got in a bit of trouble for telling GQ magazine that marijuana is 'not a real drug'. His PR people are backtracking as if their jobs depended on it; which is hardly surprising as marijuana is very much a real drug according to Californian law.
One might assume that Arnold's reluctance to condemn the drug may stem from his indiscretions as a young bodybuilding star, as seen below:
Trailer Round Up
I Am Legend:
(Oh god what have they done?)
I Am Legend (Version 2):
Too much explosions, CG Vampire-Dogs and "Nooo!!". Bastards.
Beowulf:
Really want to see this, if only for the story. Animation looks ridiculously good.
Jumper:
Intriguing..
Iron Man:
Robert Downey Jr rocks. This looks kinda like a piss-take. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing..
Hitman:
Don't expect anything more than slick cool action. I reckon it'll deliver that in spades.
B-52s For Comeback?
This could be interesting....or maybe not
Loveshack still gets an airing the odd time when I DJ.
What a tune...
Kanye West To Publish Book- The World Weeps
Dead authors all over the world are tonight turning in their graves at the news that Kanye West is to publish a book. "Surely this can't be that much of a literary disaster, morons from all walks of life have been publishing ghostwritten autobiographies about their pathetic non-interesting lives for years" I hear you say.
But wait, this is no regular feat of arseholery- it's Kanye West we're talking about! His book is a collection of 'Kanye-isms': "creative, humorous and insightful philosophies and anecdotes used in creating his path to success ."
What's worse: "Kanye delivers his personal message uncensored, without any five-second delay or media distortion."
Based on his tried and tested model for musical output, we can expect his creative insightful and original philosophies to go along the lines of: 'how many roads does a man walk down before you can call him a man' & 'I don't care too much for money cause money can't buy me love' (For full effect, liberally insert the words 'bitch' and 'kanye west' into the previous sentences).
Driving Laws Update
As I'm sure every knows by now, the stupid driving regulations are being deferred until Jun 30th 2008. Thank Jeebus, I'm not off the road.
Except for the fact that my damn car seems to be breaking down.
I know little to nothing about cars!
Except: that one shouldn't put diesel in a petrol engine
(which should never actually be a problem, because the nozzles for diesel pumps don't fit in the fuel slots for petrol cars, as i discovered once) and that according to Con the best car to have is a ducati veyron or something, which (oh lord i just looked it up) is ridiculous.
Movies By The Bucketload
So I spent a lot of time watching movies this weekend- woo hoo! Here's a run down of what I saw, and advice on what to avoid and what to check out:
Ratatuoille
I love Pixar- Toy Story has long been one of my all time favourite flicks. Ratatouille is one of their stronger offerings. To rate it against other Pixars, it's of the same caliber as Finding Nemo- some great laughs, amazing animation, great characters & story. It's no Toy Story, or Incredibles, but those are very, very high standards.
Black Sheep
Missed this one at Cannes so glad I got to see it here. Twas fun, tongue firmly in cheek, lots of gore- but in a comedy way.
Vacancy
Sucked. Bad. And I like shitty horror films.
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
How am I only seeing this now? Excellent, unsurprisingly, as it's Spielberg. The only film I caught in the IFI Horrorthon cause Planet Terror was sold out.
Unfortunately I haven't got around to seeing 'Garage' yet. Hope I get round to it before it finishes..
Here's the trailer for Black Sheep:
And here's a funny video of regular non-zombie sheep:
Duh
Idiots..
Reminds me of this rocket scientist:
Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina Answers A Question - Funny home videos are a click away
Happy Weekend!
I shall spend tomorrow night dancing like a maniac at the lads Halloween party, and thus will probably not be blogging much tomorrow or Sunday. I am hoping to go to some flicks in the Horrorthon on Monday though. You should too, horror movies rock. If I make it, I'll be checking out 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' (never seen it) & 'Planet Terror' (hope it's better than Death Proof...).
I hope all your weekend's are as funtacular.
To help em along, here's Chk Chk Chk's 'Must Be The Moon':
Click For Song.
Driving Laws Will Be Enforced Using 'Common Sense'
Showing no reluctance to box above his weight, Noel Dempsey has announced that the new driving laws will be enforced in a 'proportionate' manner, and using 'common sense'. Presumably the Gardai are bemused at Dempsey's attempt at telling them how to do their jobs. They have said they will enforce the laws in full.
Tomorrow Dempsey plans to declare himself King of the World, and announce new plans on how people should properly go about their lives in a way he sees fit.
Noel Dempsey: Slept With Your Girlfriend; Stole Your Car; Told Your Mother You Were Smoking.
Minister for transport Noel Dempsey is today the most hated man in Ireland. He has ushered in a series of new rules recommended by the Road Safety Authority which severely restrict learner drivers.
The new scheme abolishes Provisional Licenses in favour of 'Learning Permits', which will have several effects on drivers, including the fact that 2nd provisional holders will no longer be able to drive without a qualified driver. Once drivers pass their driving test they will no longer be immediately recognised as qualified drivers, but will be regarded as 'Restricted' drivers for a period of 2 years. This period will require the driver to display 'R' plates, and will also see the driver as being susceptible to harsher penalties than regular drivers. There are also plans for lower speed limits for learners/ restricted drivers, but no dates have been set for these yet.
The existing legislation comes into effect from Monday, after which the above breeches are considered criminal offenses.
Questions:
How are these measures going to help anyone?
How are people supposed to get qualified if it takes YEARS to get a test?
What are the many thousands of learner drivers in the country to do come Monday morning? Many of them need their cars to get to work. Now if they do so, they will be criminals.
How will this affect the real cause of the majority of road accidents- the 'high-risk' group of young males who modify their cars and drive like maniacs with no regard for speed limits or safety? These people have all been driving for years and have no doubt already got their full licenses.
Does this mean that learner drivers should as of Monday stop paying their insurance, as driving alone will certainly void it?
What happened to Noel Dempsey yesterday that made him this vindictive? Did his wife leave him? Is she taking the kids?
***Edit
I've just been to the Garda station to get an application form for another test, and the place looked like the aftermath of a festival- it's obviously been crazy busy all day. They were completely out of forms, and I'd assume that'll be the case all over the country. So I guess we can add another couple of months to the waiting list. I was just talking to a friend of the family who is in her 60's and on a provisional. She's upset that she won't be able to go to her bingo night anymore. With all the pressure of the wait and the build up to the test, she's way too nervous to pass, but clearly isn't a risk as she drives slowly and carefully. She also pointed out that a lot of her friends would use their cars to pick up their husbands from the pub. Does this mean they can't do that anymore? Will this see an increase in drink driving?
You bastard, Dempsey.
Darjeeling Ltd Prologue
There's a short prologue to Wes Anderson's new film 'The Darjeeling Ltd' available for free on itunes, but only to US residents. Seems kinda silly. I watched it here, but the links are constantly being taken down by Fox.
The flick is called 'Hotel Chevalier'. Here's the IMBD summary, :
A short epilogue of one heartbreaking history of love and the prologue of the travel told in The Darjeeling Limited.
Darjeeling Ltd is released here on November 26th.
Madeline McCann- Not Funny
Ofcom media regulator has received a number of complaints about a gag in the 'Bremner, Bird & Fortune' sketch show that reffered to Madeline McCann. Too soon, apparently. I think the gag is hilarious, and don't consider it to be in poor taste at all. But I have an odd sense of humor. Watch the clip below. It comes about halfway through.
Read the story on Sky's rag of a news website here.
Bertie To Recieve €38k Pay Rise
Presumably to keep his mind off of other people's money.
Metallica Go Back To The 80s
Apparently the new Metallica album is a return to their smelly 80's heyday. And it's produced by Rick Rubin. I'm cautiously intrigued.
New Nine Inch Nails Album- Free!
NIN are following in Radiohead's footsteps and releasing their (his?) latest album for free online. It's not the much anticipated 'Year Zero' remix album (which will feature a remix by the faint), but a collaboration with hip-hop poet Saul Williams. Hmmm...interesting.
The album is called 'The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust', and will be available for download here from November 1st.
In the meantime, here's the video for Saul Williams' 'List Of Demands', which is pretty bad-ass:
Full story here.
Arcade Fire Were Amazing, By The Way
They really lived up to their live reputation, with most of the band going absolutely nuts onstage. During one song two percussionists beat the shit out of everything they could find, including the floor, the lighting rig and each other.
Venue-wise, the place is basically the Point. Big (very) and crowded (also very). The sound was crappy unless you were close to the stage. Having not arrived there hours before the band took the stage, we were voiced with a choice of good views from the back, but crappy sound, or crappy views behind a pillar at the front but good sound. We chose the latter, which was fine. We had a great view of the keyboardist. My only other venue complaint was the fact that I went to get my round in just before 10, and the bar was closed! What the hell is that about? So, apologies to Gillers, I still owe him a pint.
My personal highlight was (oddly) a song I'm not a huge fan of- 'My Body Is A Cage'. It was the first song played on the giant church organ, and circular screens gave the audience a view from a camera attached to Win Butler's microphone. The blatant offbeat weirdness of the song made me think about exactly what Arcade Fire have achieved. They are an 'odd' band, the kind of band that would be traditionally confined to the alternative or indie scene, but they are selling out every show they play, no matter what size. They seem to be universally admired & appreciated...... and rightly so. Fair play.
I look forward to their third album, and hopefully seeing them live again.
Oh, Gillers did take some photos, I'll post them when I can.
Here's the band performing on Jonathan Ross, finishing up with some evidence that no matter how smart or indie you may be, everyone still wants to be a smelly rock n roll star:
Happy Song Of The Day
Tokyo Police Club rock. I didn't go see them play the Hub during the summer. More the fool am I.
Here's 'Nature Of The Experiment':
Click for song
Moron Nation
Was just in the bank, and they had a TV on showing SKY News (as they do). The scrolling info line at the bottom read (I'm paraphrasing): "Breaking News: US impose sanctions on Iran citing their reasons as Iran's nuclear ambitions." & "UK backs US action against Iran.". On the main screen was an interview on 'life as a celebrity' with Kerry Katona.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WORLD??
What's going on with SKY news??
World stands on the brink of nuclear war= Depressing; Bad TV; "Can we get Kerry Katona?".
I'm running out of exasperated sighs. Soon we shall have to take to the streets.
Simply Red To Disband- Woo Hoo!!!
Mick Hucknall solo album to follow- D'oh!
Click for story.
Webcast Tonight
RTE will be broadcasting their live webcast with Seymour Hersh tonight.
Check it out HERE at 7PM.
Scary Movies
Here's a list of 'Overlooked Scary Movies' from 'Scene Stealers'. Apart from the obvious seasonal value of this list, I've always been a huge fan of scary movies, and have recently found decent ones annoyingly hard to come by. Hopefully some of these will be worth checking out.
Off the top of my head, here's my top 5 scary movies (in no particular order):
Scream
I remember seeing this in the cinema and being a nervous wreck after the first scene. Brilliant.
The Haunting
A true classic. Watch it on your own, late at night, with the volume up. But make sure you don't rent the Liam Neeson remake. That's a different kind of terror.
The Shining
Probably the greatest horror movie ever made. But Kubrick only made 'the greatest...' movies. Eerie, beautiful and a complete mindfuck.
Ringu
This scared the SHIT out of me. At the movie's pivotal moment (completely mishandled in the remake) my blood actually ran cold. Brilliant.
Don't Look Now
All about atmosphere. Venice will never be the same again. Creates a feeling of unease in the viewer then completely exploits it all the way to it's demented climax.
Damn, 5 is never enough! What about 'The Wicker Man'?
Anything else I'm missing?
Opportunism...
Courtesy of Blathnaid:
...the ability to see a way of making a quick buck out of everything.
Click Me
New Portishead Album Nearly Here
From NME:
Portishead's Geoff Barrow has announced that the band is one day away from completing their third full-length album.
In a posting today (October 23) on the band's website, Barrow wrote that the band have been in London finishing up the long-awaited follow-up to their 1997 self-titled album.
"I think one more day messing about with it and it will be done. Then into the wonderful world of mastering," he wrote.
Barrow added that the band are now "working on some artwork and getting the live stuff together".
Hopefully this will mean more excellence along these lines:
Movie News...
From IMDB:
"Wahlberg Signs Up As Gosling's Replacement
Reasons why I find this interesting:
- Peter Jackson kicks ass, obviously.
- Stuart Townsend quit the role of Aragorn in Fellowship just as filming was about to start. Hmmm...
- I've read 'Lovely Bones' and it sucks. It's also been done. A lot. Why is Jackson bothering?
- Like it or not, Marky Mark fucking rules.
Weezer Frontman To Release Solo Album
From NME:
"Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo is set to release a compilation of his favourite demos.
'Alone - The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo' will be released December 11, and will feature a string of tracks recorded between 1992 and 2007.
The material was recorded on a Tascam 688 home recording unit, which Cuomo bought in 1990 after convincing his mother to co-sign a credit card application."
Well hopefully this means we'll be treated to the first Cuomo material since 'Pinkerton' that doesn't suck.
2006 Recap: Top 10s Are Fun
Albums Of The Year: 2006
Having not been able to stop listening to 'The Flying Club Cup', and knowing that it'll more than likely be on my end of year honors list, I figured I'd do a recap of last year's top albums.
Here they are (in order):
10. ISLANDS- 'Return To The Sea'
This album is a total gem- any band that can make a chirpy feel-good pop song about conflict diamonds deserves credit.
There are at least four standout tracks on 'Return To The Sea', ranging in style from recorder led pop, to dark rap-rock, to the downright unclassifiable.
Listen:
Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone
9. Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
Saw what you will about the Arctic Monkeys, the fact that this album is packed to the brim with smart, catchy & edgy pop songs is undeniable. This record stayed in my stereo for months after it came out.
Listen:
The View From The Afternoon
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- 'Show Your Bones'
I'm truly a shameless pop whore. My criterion for good music include pop-sensibilities as an essential. Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the character and visceral energy of their debut and to this added the pop that I so love. 'Show Your Bones' was the result, and damn was it good.
Listen:
Cheated Hearts
7. Final Fantasy- He Poos Clouds
Apart from having the album name of the year, 'He
Poos Clouds' has a handful of beautiful and disturbing tracks (each based on one of the different schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons- nerds rock!). On this (his second album) Owen Pallett wrote each piece for a string quartet, resulting in a deeper, fuller album that it's predecessor 'Has A Good Home'.
Listen:
This Lamb Sells Condos
6. Fujiya & Miyagi- 'Transparent Things'
This genre-bending album from the Brighton three-piece is the best electro-funk-indie-chillout-dance album I've ever heard.
Enough said.
Listen:
Photocopier
5. Cansei De Ser Sexy- 'CSS'
Every once in a while an album comes along that is destined to become a staple of parties everywhere (Thriller, As Heard On Radio, Danse Macabre, Crossroad..), CSS is such an album.
It's as dancy as it is rocky, and it has eleven tracks of non-stop wholesome goodness- no fast forwarding needed.
Listen:
Off The Hook
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers- 'Stadium Arcadium'
It's often said about this album, but this is a band on the top of their game. To produce an (almost) flawless two disc album at this stage in their career says only one thing: the Chilis are in this for the long haul. This collection has nods to their earlier 'funky monk' stage (Animal Bar, Storm In A Teacup), the standout hit singles the band have become known for (Dani California, Tell Me Baby) and a handful of songs on which the band digress from the formula to tread relatively new ground. For me, it was this latter category which proved most rewarding. Tracks like '21st Century' and 'Strip My Mind' promise a lot from what I hope will be a very long future for the Chili Peppers.
As long as they don't get Navarro back.
Listen:
Strip My Mind
3. TV On The Radio- 'Return To Cookie Mountain'
To hear an album full of as many original ideas as 'Cookie Mountain' is a rare and precious thing. From the arrangement to the production, TVOTR have painted a wild and vivid picture that sucks you in from the get-go. It's hard to pick a highlight, as different songs seem to resonate with different moods, but as a lead single and a first plunge into the world of TVOTR you could do much worse than the thumping, howling 'Wolf Like Me'.
Listen:
Wolf Like Me
2. Joanna Newsom- 'Ys'
'Ys' could be a folk opus; it could be a classical suite; it could be an epic poem. It is certainly unique, and it is certainly a overpowering masterpiece. These five tracks are woven tight with layer upon intricate layer of strings composed by the legendary Van Dyke Parks, held together by Newsom's precise plucking of harp strings, and a voice so much more mature than on her previous effort. I can honestly see this album being studied in years to come, or being sought out on vinyl and played with the reverence that's right now reserved for the likes of 'Dark Side'. An absolute classic.
Listen:
Cosmia
1. Cursive- 'Happy Hollow'
With 'Happy Hollow' Cursive have delivered everything that you could possibly want in an album. The concept allows for Tim Kasher's lyrics to explore small town ignorances and hypocrisies through the most cutting and insightful compositions of his career. Reading these words alone sent shivers down my spine, only to be repeated tenfold when they were put to music. From the first passionately urgent chord, Cursive have the listener is in the palm of their hand. Personally, I must admit I wondered where the band would go after the departure of Cellist Gretta Cohn. She had without a doubt contributed to the dynamic of the fantastic 'The Ugly Organ' and I worried about hole she would leave. Fortunately that hole has been plugged with passion, Wizard Of Oz fueled dementia, distortion and a messed-up brass section. Oh, and when this record rocks it fucking rocks. If you don't already own this, get on it.
Listen:
Dorothy At Forty
Notable Mentions:
Knife: 'Silent Shout'; Broken Social Scene: 'Broken Social Scene'....more? Probably....
Click here for 2007 albums of the year list
Seymour Hersh Live Webcast
Q: What links the following events, other than the shamelessness of US foreign policies?
In March 1968, the height of the Vietnam war, a division of American troops entered the village of Son My and spent several hours killing every man, woman and child- all unarmed civilians- in the vicinity. [1]
During the Cold War the American government, while preaching nuclear nonproliferation, encouraged Israel to secretly acquire and develop nuclear weapons, then kept silent about it. [2]
President John F. Kennedy ordered South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated because the leader was negotiating with Ho Chi Minh to end the Vietnamese war, and Kennedy didn't want the war over until after he was reelected. [3]
During the US invasion of Afghanistan, defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld directly approved a covert black-ops program which allegedly designed physical coercion and sexual humiliation techniques for use against Muslin Arab men specifically, to retrieve information from suspects, and to blackmail them into becoming informants. [4]
A: They are all events first brought to public attention by one of the world's most renowned investigative reporters, Seymour Hersh.
For those with an interest in world affairs, hush hush military operations and shady government dealings, Mr Hersh will be giving a speech in Trinity College this Wednesday night. It's sold out (damn Trinity bums!) but RTE will be doing a live webcast of the event, so we can all avail of his wisdom and maybe garner some shocking facts to roll out in the pub at the weekend.
Here's the RTE Blurb:
RTE.ie will broadcast a live webcast of Seymour Hersh giving the 2007 Amnesty International Lecture in Trinity College Dublin.
The lecture is booked out, but you can watch it live from 7pm on Wednesday, 24 October on www.rte.ie/live.
The veteran investigative journalist is best known for his books and articles on the My Lai Massacre, the Abu Ghraib abuses and several other stories about the United States military and security. Mr Hersh has written for the NewYork Times, The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly and the Associated Press.
And here's the RTE article.
You can watch the webcast here.
1; 2; 3; 4. Profile of Seymour Hersh; Seymour Hersh Wikipedia Entry. continue reading>>
If Chuck Norris Taught French...
...you would not mess with him.
And I thought PJ Burns was a lunatic..
Top 10 Banned Books of 20th Century
Folk have probably seen this list before, but here it is again:
click me
I've read four- all amazing; including No.1, which is one of the most amazing things I've read in my life. Anyone who hasn't yet read it should get on it now! Now that I think about it, I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Harry Potter books wound up on a list of this nature. At least their in (very) good company...
Happy Song Of The Day
It's Monday, we need all the help we can get.
Here's Los Campesinos' insanely happy 'You! Me! Dancing':
Click me for song.
Phantom Wins PPI Award
Congrats to Phantom FM which was named 'Music Station of the Year' at the PPI awards on Friday. One year in and already on top. Well done folks..
Embarrassing Movie Posters
My favourite is 'The Whore's Son'.
Best tag-line EVER.
Click Me
100th Post- Woo Hoo!
"If you can do a half assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
- Kurt Vonnegut
Impromptu Food Review
Ate dinner in MAO Dun Laoghaire the other day, and it was notably a whole pile better than the last time I'd been there. It seems to have developed a rather annoying habit of changing it's entire menu ALL THE BLOODY TIME. This latest change, though, has been for the better, as their offerings over the last while have been pretty damned poor (and I'm not that fussy..). Thankfully there's a lot of new stuff on this menu- I got a yummy udon-noodle-plum-duck-thing, but was a bit spoiled for choice. Tara got a 'healthy' wheat-noodle-mushroom-thingy, which also tasted great.
So, well done, MAO, you've won me back. For now..
Derren Brown For The Olympia
Derren Brown is pretty darn good at what he does. I'm not a big watcher of TV, but I've seen nearly all of this man's stuff from looking it up online. There's no doubt that he's talented, but more uniquely, he knows what to do with his talent. His ideas for 'tricks' (I'm sure magicians wouldn't approve of the term, but that's what they are) are fabulously enginuitive and always have a dark side that's hella entertaining. I nearly went to England last year to see him live. Glad I didn't now- he's coming to the Olympia for three nights: March 12th, 13th & 14th 2008. Tickets are on sale now from €37 to €41.
Here are some video highlights (there really are so many, I highly recommend perusing youtube for more):
Fucking with Simon Pegg:
Zombies (A variation of one of his trademarks):
Chess (Smart!):
Dumbledore: Man, Wizard, Queen.
Bon Jovi Related Post Of The Day
This is fucking brilliant!
Gotta love the Jovi...
Thanks to popbitch for the link.
Ill-Advised Career Moves
Cracked have compiled a list of the 15 most Ill-Advised career re-inventions in rock history, and I am DELIGHTED to report that included in the list is Dave Navarro's brief stint as a Red Hot Chili Pepper.
As most people who know me will be aware, the argument of Navarro or Frusciante has been a recurring one with me over the years, particularly in the face of the blind ignorance and shameless denial of THIS MAN.
The writer of the cracked piece rightly comes down on the side of Frusciante, pointing out that Navarro was a "metal-inspired possible trannie" who had probably never heard the Chili Peppers before.
Frusciante, on the other hand is clearly some kind of demigod.
Observe:
In Rainbows Average Price Revealed
WhatPriceDidYouPay.com has revealed the results of their survey into the amounts paid for Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'.
Apparently the average price was £3.88. I paid £1.12 over the average price, which just gives Dylan another thing to laugh about, considering he finds the fact that I paid anything at all hilarious.
Warlords Halloween Shows
'Spooky As Fuck': The Warlords of Pez will be touring the country next week for some Halloween madness. This is well worth checking out for many reasons including these:
- The Warlords Rock
- It's Fancy Dress (Woo Hoo!)
- BATS are supporting them
Should be interesting... continue reading>>
VNR's: News For Sale
Heard an item on the news today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are currently investigation one hundred and twelve (112!!!) stations in the US for broadcasting Video News Releases (VNR's) without identifying them as such.
What are VNR's? Well, as the helpful folk over at VideoNewsRelease.net
will tell us, they are commercials designed to look like news reports.
WHAT??? Surely this can't be true??
But wait, of course it can- this is the USA.
So there are production companies such VideoNewsRelease.net as all over the country being employed to shoot short films designed to promote your product/company/agenda in the style of a legitimate news report. The above company boasts the services of an Emmy award winning TV news producer who has prepared VNR's for broadcast on networks & programs such as Oprah, 20/20, Dateline NBC, CNN, ABC, NBC newscast, and National Public Radio.
WHAT??????!!!!!!!
Most of these VNR's, as per the current FCC investigation are allegedly being broadcast without being distinguished as such. So as far as Joe Public is concerned: 'THIS IS NEWS'.
But that's not all- get this:
Who tops this company's list of clients? Who has contracted VideoNewsRelease.net enough to warrant pole position in it's portfolio?
Go on, guess.
That's right: The Executive Branch of the American Government!!!!
Oh Lord..
The Bush administration have allegedly been producing VNR's to mislead the public about progress in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' recently highlighted one of these clips featuring a group of Iraqis chanting pro-American slogans and expressing their appreciation for President Bush.
What is it gonna take for someone to impeach this asshole?
Here's one of the few embeddable VNR's I could find. It's paid for by General Motors.
You can watch a bunch more here.
Ripples of Radiohead
Here's an great article Eoin wrote for The Bookseller on the effects of Radiohead's album marketing plan.
It's certainly got folk thinking, and rightly so. Media is in a transitional period, with publishers (music, book & otherwise) constantly shifting to try to get comfortable with the idea of the new digital world.
Personally, I am fond of Radiohead's method. It's cheeky, but fair. You can always buy the physical album (and will be rewarded for doing so), but they are demonstrating that they are aware of the realities of the digital medium and are prepared to play ball.
At this point I have to give credit to Harvey Danger, a band whose early material I was quite a fan of. As far as I was concerned with the release of their third album 'Little By Little' they hit the nail on the head. The album was available to download artwork et al from their website for free. Those who liked the album and bought the physical copy were rewarded with a load of bonus material, including a bunch of songs. Radiohead seem to have followed pretty much this model, with the notable exception of more fanfare (them being Radiohead).
So kudos are due to Harvey Danger, they've got an eye on the future, and are definitely on the right track.
Crappy Twists
From Cracked:
The 10 Most Asinine Movie Twist Endings
I kinda liked No. 1...
David O'Doherty Wears Tiara, Strikes Pose
My sister made David O'Doherty a tiara out of flyers for his gig.
Now he's 'fancy'.
Clockwork Noise Myspace Review
Inner Ear has posted a review of the Clockwork Noise material that's on our myspace. They were very nice. I've never heard the Grateful Dead, but apparently they're good, so that's ok with me.
You can read the review here.
Jape Announce Tour
It's been far too long since I've seen Jape live, the last time being in Whelans when 'Mano Le Tough' supported him back in April. Said occasion was a bit of a jawdropper, as it was the first time I had seen or heard Richie & Co. For anyone else who's still a Jape virgin, the band is not to be missed. Particularly live, as Richie seems to have a bit of knack for getting folk dancing and/or jumping around. There's something magical about great articulate indie tunes that you can really dance to. Jape have got that fine art down to a t.
So here's the good news: the new 'Jape is Grape' EP has been in the works for a while, and looks like it's finally about to materialize. The image above is the cover shot, and it looks suspiciously like it was taken in Bray. Can anyone confirm?
Anywho, a hefty tour has been plotted for the near future, including 3 Dublin dates. (Woo hoo!)
Here are the dates in full, copied shamelessly from Richie's Myspace:
| Fabric | London, London and South East | ||
| Digital | Brighton, South | ||
| Stealth - Liars Club | Nottingham, Midlands | ||
| NEW SHOW!!! SAKI - PURE GROOVE PARTY | Manchester | ||
| Delete Yourself with D.I.M! - CANCELLED FOR JAPE :( | London | ||
| UCD | Dublin, Dublin | ||
| Crawdaddy | Dublin, Dublin | ||
| Crawdaddy | 12, Dublin | ||
| A week in Slovakia/Czech and Poland Not sure of venues yet!! | All Over | ||
| Cypress Avenue | Cork, Cork | ||
| Dolans | Limerick, Limerick | ||
| Roisin Dubh | Galway, Galway | ||
| Nerve Centre | Derry, Northern Ireland | ||
| Speakeasy | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
I reckon I'll be hitting Crawdaddy, as god knows what the deal is with UCD.
Here's another new Jape gem, a video for 'Floating', one of the standout tracks from his/their second album 'The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me'.
continue reading>>
Some Stag Photos
Courtesy of Shay @ Hardcore Times.
Edward Penishands:
Clubbing:
Ed asleep at dinner, 6 PM:
Karol asleep in Walters bed, 4 AM*:
*That's suncream, they tell me.
Trailer Round Up
Tim Burton's 'Sweeney Todd'
Hmmm... doesn't look great to me.
Sweeney Todd Trailer - Watch the top videos of the week here
Richard Kelly's 'Southland Tales'
This one finally comes out in December:
Wes Anderson's 'The Darjeeling Limited'
Can't wait for this one.
'The Golden Compass' AKA Phillip Pullman's 'Northern Lights'
I have my reservations about the director (Chris Weiz- American Pie, About A Boy), but the trailer doesn't look too bad. Good Cast too..
The Golden Compass Trailer - The funniest videos are a click away
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
From the man behind 'Chopper'. Looks pretty good.
John Rambo
This looks fucking hilarious. It only gets good at 2:00, but it gets REAL good.
continue reading>>
An Atheistic Afterlife
I have a friend in college named Chris Tracy who is mildly deranged, though considers himself a genius. He's been having a few stabs at philosophising about various things he finds interesting, and today I think he may have hit upon something quite profound. Here it is:
An Atheistic Afterlife
"An atheist with an afterlife seems in many peoples eyes to be an oxymoron. Yet ruling out the god hypothesis doesn't necessarily mean that everything monotheists associate with their god must be ruled out also.
"Through a series of ingenious experiments, Albert Einstein demonstrated how time is relative to the observer as opposed to absolute, as was previously considered the case. Yet it was already known that coma patients were capable of living out entire lifetimes in the space of a few months or even weeks with the same phenomenon being associated to a lesser extent with dreams.
"Meanwhile, on another continent, Sigmund Freud wasa developing his 'psychodynamic theory' and explaining how unconscious defence mechanisms are capable of shielding people from painful events. One of the most painful, yet inevitable, events of all is seen by many as death itself. Would it not be logical to assume that just before the moment of death our unconscious would attempt to protect us from the horrible transition from living organism to meat? Some say that just before the moment of their supposed demise, their entire life flashed before their eyes in an instant. Is this even possible?
"Well, according to Einstein, yes, it is. Were our unconscious to force us into a coma-like state just before the end, then it is theoretically possible that we may live out every possible scenario that our brain can create before waking up involuntarily or having fully satisfied every desire imaginable; if waking at all. This naturally induced state could be the equivalent of a religious afterlife, yet doesn't require the belief in a supernatural presence."
Personally, I've always considered any possibility of an afterlife to be reliant on the ability of the mind to produce one; and because I'm a gambler, on the idea that the mind has some level of independence from the body. Like the argument against theism, that one can appropriate the 'supernatural', the 'miraculous' in any area that's not yet fully understood; I guess I put a lot of stock in the fact that there's so much about the brain & the mind that we don't understand. Maybe that's why Chris' theory appeals to me.
