Doug Dawg is a local writer and I have to admit that I had never heard of him until I was doing some research for an upcoming post. Yes I do some research... probably surprised most of you.
Anyway, Doug is a great writer and I really like his posting about the Underground City of Chinese Immigrants that flourished in the early part of the Twentieth Century beneath the streets of OKC.
Click these links and peruse through his site. His site is far more comprehensive and better crafted than my own so I really encourage you to look through it and see what posts pique your interests.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I Love The Samsung HW-D450
I don’t watch television in my bedroom that often but when I do I’ve been really disappointed with the poor sound quality I receive from my television’s internal speakers. For quite some time now I’ve known that I wanted a soundbar but never really took the time to research the various models out there. Last week a friend of mine commented that had seen and heard some really nice soundbars at the Bose outlet store in the new OKC Outlet mall at I-40 & Council (in Oklahoma City for readers who may not know me). I knew Bose was kind of high but I thought to myself, “Well, it’s an outlet store, maybe they will have some bargains.” I don’t call upwards of $2,300 for a factory refurb a bargain, but that’s exactly what they had as far as their cheapest soundbar and subwoofer combos were concerned.
Keeping my cash, not to mention my sanity, in my pocket, I walked away from the Bose store empty handed. This last Friday night I decided to pop into Best Buy to see what they had to offer in the line of soundbars. I had already decided that my budget for this would be between $300 - $400 and I was not going to exceed this budget as after all, this was only for the bedroom TV which I seldom use. There were a few in the $400 range that I looked at from Sony and Boston Acoustics but I really didn’t want to part with any more money than I had to. I guess if the truth be known I was really having an inner battle with myself to justify spending any money at all on the back bedroom TV. But I was in the store and was already looking. The last one I looked at was a discounted model from Samsung.
The Samsung HW-D450 was on sale for $229. I thought I would go ahead and give it a listen. I was glad I did. It sounded really good in the store so I decided to go ahead and make the purchase. One thing I love about Best Buy is their generous and simple return process. As long as you have the receipt they’ll gladly take it back within 30 days. So knowing that I could take it back if not satisfied actually aided in my purchase of this particular unit. I got it home and hooked it up.
Hook up is really simple. I just took the optical out from the TV and plugged it into one of the two optical inputs on the soundbar and that was it, well aside from plugging the power cord into the wall socket. The wireless sub simply connects to electricity and you’re done. No difficult syncing exercises or anything like that. The unit comes with a wall mounting bracket but I am not going to use it because too often I want to use the analog jack to connect my Ipod into the soundbar. Another reason I am not going to wall mount the unit is because the LED display can only be seen when looking at the unit from a downward angle. This simply can’t be done if you mount it very high on a wall. So I am more than happy to leave it on the top of the bookshelf right in front of the TV itself. It’s low profile so it doesn’t block the view of the screen. There is a little difficulty getting the remote to hit the sensor window on the TV, but raising the TV a quarter inch resolved that instantly.
If you’re looking for true surround, despite what the folks at Bose tell you, you can not get that from ANY soundbar. If you don’t have actual speakers behind you, then you’re not going to be fooled into thinking you are actually being surrounded. But, if you want good quality audio, especially for musical programs then a soundbar might be the way to go. This particular model is rated only at 2.1 channels but I have to admit that I could not hear any difference in it and the 3.1 channel model for about $100 more. I watched a DVD of Pearl Harbor with Kate Beckinsale as it was the nearest action movie I could locate. I will stipulate that the bass could have been deeper coming from the sub, but hey for $229 I am not going to complain. The linear tracking and panning of the aircraft and rifle shots were dead on. I was really impressed with this.
There is one warning I need to impart with you. This unit does support iPhone/iPod connectivity but unless you spring for the optional Samsung IPod dock, you simply have to plug in the 1/8 in. Mini jack and use the analog input.
So if you’re looking for a really reasonable priced soundbar that performs on the same par as some of the units costing far more I heartily recommend the Samsung HW-D450.
Keeping my cash, not to mention my sanity, in my pocket, I walked away from the Bose store empty handed. This last Friday night I decided to pop into Best Buy to see what they had to offer in the line of soundbars. I had already decided that my budget for this would be between $300 - $400 and I was not going to exceed this budget as after all, this was only for the bedroom TV which I seldom use. There were a few in the $400 range that I looked at from Sony and Boston Acoustics but I really didn’t want to part with any more money than I had to. I guess if the truth be known I was really having an inner battle with myself to justify spending any money at all on the back bedroom TV. But I was in the store and was already looking. The last one I looked at was a discounted model from Samsung.
Hook up is really simple. I just took the optical out from the TV and plugged it into one of the two optical inputs on the soundbar and that was it, well aside from plugging the power cord into the wall socket. The wireless sub simply connects to electricity and you’re done. No difficult syncing exercises or anything like that. The unit comes with a wall mounting bracket but I am not going to use it because too often I want to use the analog jack to connect my Ipod into the soundbar. Another reason I am not going to wall mount the unit is because the LED display can only be seen when looking at the unit from a downward angle. This simply can’t be done if you mount it very high on a wall. So I am more than happy to leave it on the top of the bookshelf right in front of the TV itself. It’s low profile so it doesn’t block the view of the screen. There is a little difficulty getting the remote to hit the sensor window on the TV, but raising the TV a quarter inch resolved that instantly.
If you’re looking for true surround, despite what the folks at Bose tell you, you can not get that from ANY soundbar. If you don’t have actual speakers behind you, then you’re not going to be fooled into thinking you are actually being surrounded. But, if you want good quality audio, especially for musical programs then a soundbar might be the way to go. This particular model is rated only at 2.1 channels but I have to admit that I could not hear any difference in it and the 3.1 channel model for about $100 more. I watched a DVD of Pearl Harbor with Kate Beckinsale as it was the nearest action movie I could locate. I will stipulate that the bass could have been deeper coming from the sub, but hey for $229 I am not going to complain. The linear tracking and panning of the aircraft and rifle shots were dead on. I was really impressed with this.
There is one warning I need to impart with you. This unit does support iPhone/iPod connectivity but unless you spring for the optional Samsung IPod dock, you simply have to plug in the 1/8 in. Mini jack and use the analog input.
So if you’re looking for a really reasonable priced soundbar that performs on the same par as some of the units costing far more I heartily recommend the Samsung HW-D450.
All I Need Is A Mouth Misser And I Win The Jackpot
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Whether we admit it or not, we are all social animals. Naturally some of us are more socially adventurous than others but as whole I would say that we as a species are gregarious in nature. One doesn’t always have to interact to be social, at least not in the most technical sense of the word. Like in all fields of study, observation is a key element in learning. Observing the human condition can often be just as entertaining as actually engaging. People watching will always be an interesting pastime but now one company has found an ingenious method of allowing one to catalog their observations and even compete with their friends while doing so. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “Bar Bingo”
The premise is simple, look about the bar patrons and look for certain social stereotypes and behaviors. Each time you spy someone who meets the criteria you can mark them off of your Bingo card. The rules of the game dictate that you must call out your discovery and make it known to all of the other participants. Each Bingo card has the same 25 observations, they are merely arranged in different rows and columns on each card so that everyone has an equal shot at winning. In last night’s endeavor we all threw in $2 each and the winner took the pot, a whopping $10 in this case. Last night the pot went to Lisa, but I am going to work be back on the hunt next weekend and see if I can get my money back.
So now that you know the premise, here are some of the items on this veritable scavenger hunt that must be checked off.
Number Swap – Seeing one person pass a slip of paper to another, you can just assume it’s got a phone number on it. The rules are pretty open to interpretation.
Gold Chains
Martini
Seat Dancer
Mouth Misser – Someone so drunk they actually miss their gob
The loner
Girls night out – must be a group of 4 or more females with no dude at the table
Frozen Drink
Phone shouter
Visible thong –aka Whale Tail
Sunglasses – they must be over the highs, riding above the forehead does not score
Excess cleavage – again, what is excess is open to interpretation
A couple making out in public
Drink shaker – bar equipment not a person
Group shots – not the same as a toast because toast has its own spot
A toast – see I told you it had its own spot
There are 25 Bingo “spots” in all but I think you get the gist of the various spots out there for observation. In our game you simply had to get 5 in a row, no blackout was required to win.
Initially you think the game really easy and would think it would be over in about 30 minutes. But as we learned last night, depending upon the venue and crowd density it can actually take a while. Our game last night began very early. It was only 6:00 so we had a sparse crowd despite the ample number of Hudson’s Happy Hour regulars. I think the game is actually pretty fun and if nothing else it actually stimulates conversation amongst the group. The game is pretty cheap. I think Brad picked up the package of 12 reusable cards for less than $10. He got them at “Blue 7” over at May & Grand. That’s where the old Sound Warehouse used to be as a reference for us Old Timers!
So if you’re looking for a good time and something to boost the excitement of your regular watering hole gathering I strongly recommend this game.
Speaking of people watching, as you can see, the never ending late night freak show that is Beverley’s after 2:00 Am is still alive and well!
.
Whether we admit it or not, we are all social animals. Naturally some of us are more socially adventurous than others but as whole I would say that we as a species are gregarious in nature. One doesn’t always have to interact to be social, at least not in the most technical sense of the word. Like in all fields of study, observation is a key element in learning. Observing the human condition can often be just as entertaining as actually engaging. People watching will always be an interesting pastime but now one company has found an ingenious method of allowing one to catalog their observations and even compete with their friends while doing so. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “Bar Bingo”
The premise is simple, look about the bar patrons and look for certain social stereotypes and behaviors. Each time you spy someone who meets the criteria you can mark them off of your Bingo card. The rules of the game dictate that you must call out your discovery and make it known to all of the other participants. Each Bingo card has the same 25 observations, they are merely arranged in different rows and columns on each card so that everyone has an equal shot at winning. In last night’s endeavor we all threw in $2 each and the winner took the pot, a whopping $10 in this case. Last night the pot went to Lisa, but I am going to work be back on the hunt next weekend and see if I can get my money back.
So now that you know the premise, here are some of the items on this veritable scavenger hunt that must be checked off.
Number Swap – Seeing one person pass a slip of paper to another, you can just assume it’s got a phone number on it. The rules are pretty open to interpretation.
Gold Chains
Martini
Seat Dancer
Mouth Misser – Someone so drunk they actually miss their gob
The loner
Girls night out – must be a group of 4 or more females with no dude at the table
Frozen Drink
Phone shouter
Visible thong –aka Whale Tail
Sunglasses – they must be over the highs, riding above the forehead does not score
Excess cleavage – again, what is excess is open to interpretation
A couple making out in public
Drink shaker – bar equipment not a person
Group shots – not the same as a toast because toast has its own spot
A toast – see I told you it had its own spot
There are 25 Bingo “spots” in all but I think you get the gist of the various spots out there for observation. In our game you simply had to get 5 in a row, no blackout was required to win.
Initially you think the game really easy and would think it would be over in about 30 minutes. But as we learned last night, depending upon the venue and crowd density it can actually take a while. Our game last night began very early. It was only 6:00 so we had a sparse crowd despite the ample number of Hudson’s Happy Hour regulars. I think the game is actually pretty fun and if nothing else it actually stimulates conversation amongst the group. The game is pretty cheap. I think Brad picked up the package of 12 reusable cards for less than $10. He got them at “Blue 7” over at May & Grand. That’s where the old Sound Warehouse used to be as a reference for us Old Timers!
So if you’re looking for a good time and something to boost the excitement of your regular watering hole gathering I strongly recommend this game.
Speaking of people watching, as you can see, the never ending late night freak show that is Beverley’s after 2:00 Am is still alive and well!
Friday, February 24, 2012
It's Just A Jump To The Left, And Then A Step To The Right...
We were looking at sound equipment and he told me that he had added 2 more speakers to his set up so that he was now getting true 7.1 surround on some of his Blurays. I told him I wanted a demonstration when we were done shopping and he was more than happy to accommodate. We went back to his house and it took him a few moments to figure out which of his Blurays were equipped with 7.1. Initially the only disk he could find was the latest Pirates of the Caribbean outing. We put it in but I really wasn’t impressed with the added sound field. I asked what else he had and he pointed out that he had a 7.1 Bluray release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I knew right then that I had to hear this in 7.1. We started watching the film and I was instantly transported back to high school. I went back to a time when people lived their lives based upon the reality of the moment and everything wasn’t scrutinized for its potential liability. It was a time when entertainment was exactly that, entertainment, instead of the lawyer manipulated industry of the Cinema Megaplex that we see today. Back in the old days there were smaller theaters that were willing to take a chance and do something that wasn’t corporately mandated.
They would throw caution to the wind on Saturday nights at Midnight and let people have fun by watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show as it was meant to be experienced. For you folks who have only seen this strange yet mesmerizing classic on DVD you really have no clue what you’ve missed. To simply classify it as audience participation would be a gross understatement. The diehard fans actually dressed the part and acted out their own version of the film right there in the theater. The casual observers were able to participate by shouting expletives and vulgarities at predetermined points timed contextually with the film. It was also a time for props. During the wedding scene many folks actually threw rice. But there were countless opportunities to throw toast, toilet paper, wieners, crepe paper streamers and newspapers.
In some theaters you were even allowed to bring squirt guns and use them during the rainy sequences, I’ve heard that in a few select theaters, usually theaters refitted with plastic seats like you would find in outdoor sports stadiums, they actually used to turn on the sprinkler system during the rain. I never saw anything that extreme but I understand it happened at a few theaters back East,
Now anyone who knows me, knows that I am pretty conservative and always have been. Most of them probably have a little bit of difficulty wrapping their minds around the idea of me attending something so bohemian in nature. I will admit that I was more of a casual observer than ardent participant but I did attend the Midnight showings quite frequently. I shall not lie to you good folks. We went to meet girls. Let me further clarify this, we went to meet EASY girls. Once a girl has been out in the aisle doing some Timewarping they just seem more conducive to other types of pelvic thrusting. The atmosphere of reckless abandon, the sexual connotations of the film and a sense of traditional rules not applying during these Midnight Screenings only made things that much better. Schwwwwinnnnnggg!
As we sat there flipping from one scene to the other, even after twenty some odd years I was still able to spontaneously utter the various responses as though I were some cult member barking out programmed responses to an L. Ron Hubbard lecture or something like that. We didn’t watch the whole film but I did get to hear the 7.1 audio tracks and while I could tell some difference, I’m still not ready to completely overhaul my system. But that’s really not the point of this post. I guess that each day I become more and more like the Crotchety Old Man skit on Saturday Night Live who always talked about how much better things were in his day.
Next Thursday I will be going to OKC’s newest theater, the IMAX at The Warren where viewers will be treated to the latest technology in what will probably be one of the more luxurious auditoriums in the state. The picture will be amazing and the sounds will be equally dazzling, but I have to tell you that a part of me would much rather be back in the old City of Moore theater on a Saturday night throwing stuff and shooting water out of plastic condiment bottles.
In case you’re wondering, my favorite audience participation line… “He’s a greaser from the freezer and a bat out of hell”
Friday, February 10, 2012
Big Ol' Blogorama Dos!
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Well it’s been a while since I’ve offered up a post of any substance. Because of this I am going to make this post considerably longer than those that I’ve recently posted. But hopefully, it won’t become too tedious as I plan to break it up into several different topics. Think of this as “Big Ol’ Blogorama II.” There have been several items of late that I wanted to post about but I simply lacked either the time or the inclination, usually the inclination.
Things That Go Roooaaaarrrr In The Sky…
The first thing I want to touch on is the audible phenomena of the “Mystery Sounds” that were allegedly zinging about the atmosphere in mid to late January. These strange sounds ranged from low pitched roars to banshee like shrieks. If you’ve heard any of them on the WWW they sound pretty intimidating. I think the word used most often to describe them is haunting. If you’ve not heard it the best comparison I can give is the noise emitted by the Smoke Monster on LOST. I Initially I thought they were hoaxes, and still do, but there was one that had some credibility because it was actually audible during a Major League Baseball game between Detroit and Tampa bay. This particular instance of the sound has far more credibility than the others because there is a context related baseline, the game and the announcers, in which the sound is commented upon and played out in real time. I’m not really sure what the story is on this particular instance, but as for the other occurrences being reported I am afraid that I have to strike the colors hoist the proverbial BS flag.
A lot of the lunatic fringe are touting these to be the actual trumpet of Gabriel signaling the Rapture. I was always under the impression that once the trumpet sounded your fate was sealed and you either ascended to embrace your status as a perfect being or you were forced to remain below and take your chances during the time of the Great Tribulation. Since neither of those activities have transpired, I think we can safely rule out the Gabriel’s Horn theory. Others are contending that it an electromagnetic resonance being emitted by the HAARP Project in Alaska and my personal favorite is the “Groaning of the Earth” in conjunction with the fabled breaking apart at the end of this year. In my opinion they sound like electronically altered samplings of metal on metal scraping, for example a rusty tailgate hinge. I know that the sounds are almost identical to the noise produced when I used to let the tailgate down on my old ATV trailer. So I am going to go ahead and agree with one article that puts them tantamount to a high tech version of “Tebowing.”
However, that being said, I did see one very plausible explanation. One man held that the sounds were being produced when metal objects acted as an antenna of sorts and picked up signals from an exacerbated electromagnetic spectrum brought about by the recent onslaught of solar flares and sunspots which also provided us with dazzling displays of the Aurora Borealis. If indeed there were sounds (and yes I am still very skeptical) I think this is probably a viable explanation. However the only instance of the mystery sound that I give any credence to is the one heard during the baseball game in Tampa Bay and that certainly wasn’t in January. So there you have my take on this particular phenomena. I am ranking it right up there with the backward masking craze of the 80’s.
No Sounds???
Today I had to run some errands and there was a portion of my schedule that had a three hour span between appointments. I didn’t want to drive home as both appointments were in Edmond so I decided to take in a movie. I had seen the previews for a film in black and white with John Goodman entitled, “The Artist.” Since I enjoy black and white films I thought it would be interesting to check out a modern day film which was sans chromakey. I was in for more of a surprise than I had bargained. Not only was the film void of color but it was also void of sound. Yep, it was a silent movie.
Initially I was going to write a post about the film and sing its praises without letting it slip that it is a silent film. I wanted to allow the reader to experience the same surprise I did when I was about 15 minutes into the film and realized that it was going to be that way throughout. Many of you may instantly scoff and balk at the concept of watching a modern day silent film but I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I really wish they would make more of them. The absence of dialogue forces the viewer to pay more attention to the film’s score and also allows them to pick up more of the visual cues and details that might otherwise be glossed over by the presence of spoken word. Back story and plot developments can’t simply be explained by dialogue, the viewer has to watch and pay attention but rest assured the plot and storyline are quite easy to follow. I particularly liked the way that newspaper headlines were used to set the scene and context.
A silent film may not be for everyone. But if you’re looking for something that is finally different from the Jello molded and formulized films we’ve been force fed for the last 25 years, I strongly encourage you to go see “The Artist.” The only theater in which I saw it listed was at Quail Springs but there may be others. Again, this is a really great film and I think you will find it refreshing to see something different for a change.
Limey Soaps???
Two years ago, or for that matter two months ago, if you had told me that I would be completely captivated and mesmerized by British soap operas I would have called you daft, that’s keeping in the British lexicon just so ya’ know. But the fact is that I have really enjoyed watching two British series over the last month. I guess I was the only person on the planet who had yet to watch Downton Abbey. I had heard of it but knew little about it. So a couple of Saturdays ago I started streaming the first episode on Netflix. I ended up viewing all eight episodes back to back. That was Season One. From what I understand Season Two is currently being aired locally on PBS but I couldn’t wait, I ordered the Bluray release via Amazon and it shipped on Wednesday. I really hope I received it on Friday or Saturday so I can sit down to another eight hour marathon and knock out the second season.
Well in the absence of the Second Season of Downton Abbey, I started watching The Forsyte Sage. This particular miniseries has only six episodes on Netflix but I understand that there are a few more episodes out there so I have to find some way to procure them. I’m sure I’ll find them somewhere.
Of the two it’s hard to say which I prefer. They each have their good points. The production is top notch on both vehicles and each tells a story based on the interaction of people in very reasonable and convincing situations. No aliens, no car chases, no explosions as of yet and no special effects. Just great story telling carried out by clever scenes and realistic dialogue. I love shows that are void of clever catchphrases and rely strictly on genuine dialogue that is contextually relevant, it’s just sad that there are none of them being produced in the US.
Long Live Heisenberg!
Friends of mine at work had been telling me for the past couple of years that I should watch Breaking Bad, one of the AMC original series. I had seen the first couple of episodes a few years ago and the storyline looked interesting but for some reason I just never went back and watched the show’s first season. Finally, for some reason I sat down and started watching, and watch I did. I viewed all four seasons in about two weeks.
For those who are not aware of the show’s basic premise it focuses on a high school chemistry teacher who for various reasons decides to put his knowledge of chemistry into practice expressly for the purpose of creating or “cooking” the finest and most pure Methamphetamine on the market. In the first episode the viewers are keyed into the fact this guy is not your normal high school chemistry teacher when we see that the man has a Nobel Prize for chemistry adorning either an end table or the mantel.
I feel that I really benefitted by watching all of the episodes back to back because I was able to see the character development far more vividly and dramatically than if I had gradually stretched it out over three or four years, not to mention being plagued with week long pauses between each episode. Because of this I was able to be more aware of the show’s basic premise which is the downward spiral of Walter White’s character and principles. To see how that in each episode the main protagonist further distances his character from the integrity and values he once held is simply remarkable.
While this show lacks some of the realism that we see in the British shows I mentioned, it’s not totally unbelievable. I really do think that given certain circumstances people can, and often do, compromise their sense of values and morality to meet what they perceive as their needs. Especially when they have some reason, either real or imagined, that allows them to rationalize and justify, if only to themselves, each step they take down the legendary road to Hell replete with all of the good intentions with which it is fraught.
This show is decidedly dark and while you might not think it initially, the show actually provides a lot of comic relief. I think that if this comic relief wasn’t present some may simply find the show too dark to watch. But for me, it’s the show’s darkness that makes it so appealing. One thing that the show does quite well is tie characters together that ordinarily would never cross paths. The way that the show does this is by showing how all of the participants in the world of Methamphetamine are related, how the drug ties them all together and brings some of the most vile individuals you can imagine into one another’s realm.
With the exception of the most recent season, all of the episodes for this series are available on Netflix as well.
Well folks, I still have more to say but I am going to hold off on it and post the remainder of my thoughts in a couple of days. It’s late and I want to get some sleep. I’m not even going to proof this post, I’m just throwing it out there as is, but I promise this will not become habit.
.
Well it’s been a while since I’ve offered up a post of any substance. Because of this I am going to make this post considerably longer than those that I’ve recently posted. But hopefully, it won’t become too tedious as I plan to break it up into several different topics. Think of this as “Big Ol’ Blogorama II.” There have been several items of late that I wanted to post about but I simply lacked either the time or the inclination, usually the inclination.
Things That Go Roooaaaarrrr In The Sky…
The first thing I want to touch on is the audible phenomena of the “Mystery Sounds” that were allegedly zinging about the atmosphere in mid to late January. These strange sounds ranged from low pitched roars to banshee like shrieks. If you’ve heard any of them on the WWW they sound pretty intimidating. I think the word used most often to describe them is haunting. If you’ve not heard it the best comparison I can give is the noise emitted by the Smoke Monster on LOST. I Initially I thought they were hoaxes, and still do, but there was one that had some credibility because it was actually audible during a Major League Baseball game between Detroit and Tampa bay. This particular instance of the sound has far more credibility than the others because there is a context related baseline, the game and the announcers, in which the sound is commented upon and played out in real time. I’m not really sure what the story is on this particular instance, but as for the other occurrences being reported I am afraid that I have to strike the colors hoist the proverbial BS flag.
A lot of the lunatic fringe are touting these to be the actual trumpet of Gabriel signaling the Rapture. I was always under the impression that once the trumpet sounded your fate was sealed and you either ascended to embrace your status as a perfect being or you were forced to remain below and take your chances during the time of the Great Tribulation. Since neither of those activities have transpired, I think we can safely rule out the Gabriel’s Horn theory. Others are contending that it an electromagnetic resonance being emitted by the HAARP Project in Alaska and my personal favorite is the “Groaning of the Earth” in conjunction with the fabled breaking apart at the end of this year. In my opinion they sound like electronically altered samplings of metal on metal scraping, for example a rusty tailgate hinge. I know that the sounds are almost identical to the noise produced when I used to let the tailgate down on my old ATV trailer. So I am going to go ahead and agree with one article that puts them tantamount to a high tech version of “Tebowing.”
However, that being said, I did see one very plausible explanation. One man held that the sounds were being produced when metal objects acted as an antenna of sorts and picked up signals from an exacerbated electromagnetic spectrum brought about by the recent onslaught of solar flares and sunspots which also provided us with dazzling displays of the Aurora Borealis. If indeed there were sounds (and yes I am still very skeptical) I think this is probably a viable explanation. However the only instance of the mystery sound that I give any credence to is the one heard during the baseball game in Tampa Bay and that certainly wasn’t in January. So there you have my take on this particular phenomena. I am ranking it right up there with the backward masking craze of the 80’s.
No Sounds???
Today I had to run some errands and there was a portion of my schedule that had a three hour span between appointments. I didn’t want to drive home as both appointments were in Edmond so I decided to take in a movie. I had seen the previews for a film in black and white with John Goodman entitled, “The Artist.” Since I enjoy black and white films I thought it would be interesting to check out a modern day film which was sans chromakey. I was in for more of a surprise than I had bargained. Not only was the film void of color but it was also void of sound. Yep, it was a silent movie.
Initially I was going to write a post about the film and sing its praises without letting it slip that it is a silent film. I wanted to allow the reader to experience the same surprise I did when I was about 15 minutes into the film and realized that it was going to be that way throughout. Many of you may instantly scoff and balk at the concept of watching a modern day silent film but I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I really wish they would make more of them. The absence of dialogue forces the viewer to pay more attention to the film’s score and also allows them to pick up more of the visual cues and details that might otherwise be glossed over by the presence of spoken word. Back story and plot developments can’t simply be explained by dialogue, the viewer has to watch and pay attention but rest assured the plot and storyline are quite easy to follow. I particularly liked the way that newspaper headlines were used to set the scene and context.
A silent film may not be for everyone. But if you’re looking for something that is finally different from the Jello molded and formulized films we’ve been force fed for the last 25 years, I strongly encourage you to go see “The Artist.” The only theater in which I saw it listed was at Quail Springs but there may be others. Again, this is a really great film and I think you will find it refreshing to see something different for a change.
Limey Soaps???
Two years ago, or for that matter two months ago, if you had told me that I would be completely captivated and mesmerized by British soap operas I would have called you daft, that’s keeping in the British lexicon just so ya’ know. But the fact is that I have really enjoyed watching two British series over the last month. I guess I was the only person on the planet who had yet to watch Downton Abbey. I had heard of it but knew little about it. So a couple of Saturdays ago I started streaming the first episode on Netflix. I ended up viewing all eight episodes back to back. That was Season One. From what I understand Season Two is currently being aired locally on PBS but I couldn’t wait, I ordered the Bluray release via Amazon and it shipped on Wednesday. I really hope I received it on Friday or Saturday so I can sit down to another eight hour marathon and knock out the second season.
Well in the absence of the Second Season of Downton Abbey, I started watching The Forsyte Sage. This particular miniseries has only six episodes on Netflix but I understand that there are a few more episodes out there so I have to find some way to procure them. I’m sure I’ll find them somewhere.
Of the two it’s hard to say which I prefer. They each have their good points. The production is top notch on both vehicles and each tells a story based on the interaction of people in very reasonable and convincing situations. No aliens, no car chases, no explosions as of yet and no special effects. Just great story telling carried out by clever scenes and realistic dialogue. I love shows that are void of clever catchphrases and rely strictly on genuine dialogue that is contextually relevant, it’s just sad that there are none of them being produced in the US.
Long Live Heisenberg!
Friends of mine at work had been telling me for the past couple of years that I should watch Breaking Bad, one of the AMC original series. I had seen the first couple of episodes a few years ago and the storyline looked interesting but for some reason I just never went back and watched the show’s first season. Finally, for some reason I sat down and started watching, and watch I did. I viewed all four seasons in about two weeks.
For those who are not aware of the show’s basic premise it focuses on a high school chemistry teacher who for various reasons decides to put his knowledge of chemistry into practice expressly for the purpose of creating or “cooking” the finest and most pure Methamphetamine on the market. In the first episode the viewers are keyed into the fact this guy is not your normal high school chemistry teacher when we see that the man has a Nobel Prize for chemistry adorning either an end table or the mantel.
I feel that I really benefitted by watching all of the episodes back to back because I was able to see the character development far more vividly and dramatically than if I had gradually stretched it out over three or four years, not to mention being plagued with week long pauses between each episode. Because of this I was able to be more aware of the show’s basic premise which is the downward spiral of Walter White’s character and principles. To see how that in each episode the main protagonist further distances his character from the integrity and values he once held is simply remarkable.
While this show lacks some of the realism that we see in the British shows I mentioned, it’s not totally unbelievable. I really do think that given certain circumstances people can, and often do, compromise their sense of values and morality to meet what they perceive as their needs. Especially when they have some reason, either real or imagined, that allows them to rationalize and justify, if only to themselves, each step they take down the legendary road to Hell replete with all of the good intentions with which it is fraught.
This show is decidedly dark and while you might not think it initially, the show actually provides a lot of comic relief. I think that if this comic relief wasn’t present some may simply find the show too dark to watch. But for me, it’s the show’s darkness that makes it so appealing. One thing that the show does quite well is tie characters together that ordinarily would never cross paths. The way that the show does this is by showing how all of the participants in the world of Methamphetamine are related, how the drug ties them all together and brings some of the most vile individuals you can imagine into one another’s realm.
With the exception of the most recent season, all of the episodes for this series are available on Netflix as well.
Well folks, I still have more to say but I am going to hold off on it and post the remainder of my thoughts in a couple of days. It’s late and I want to get some sleep. I’m not even going to proof this post, I’m just throwing it out there as is, but I promise this will not become habit.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Success Is Horrible, Let's Elect a Loser!
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Anyone who’s read this blog for any length of time knows that I seldom discuss politics. In fact I almost feel like I am letting myself down if I am forced to write about politics. It’s almost as though I feel that I’ve failed to come up with something interesting if I have to resort to politics and current events. But that being said I am going to voice my opinion on the GOP candidacy of Mitt Romney. Again, I really feel like I am letting you all down by not hacking out something more interesting but here goes.
Years ago I said that I would never vote for Romney in the GOP primary, and I guess that of those still in the fray I would probably throw my vote towards Gingrich if I were to cast it today. But, I wanted to take a moment to drop a few lines about Romney. Since when did becoming a wealthy and successful person become one of the seven deadly sins? I can’t imagine electing someone who has been a successful businessman to office. Heaven forbid we actually vote for someone who has taken a business and made it profitable. How could that possibly yield any experience toward balancing a budget and stimulating a market based economy?
Speaking of the budget and deficits and things like that, I learned the following about Romney’s stint as governor of Massachusetts:
“He eliminated a $3 billion deficit without borrowing or raising taxes. By 2007, at the end of Mitt’s term, the state had accumulated a $2 billion rainy day fund in its coffers. This stringent fiscal discipline provided an essential backdrop for economic recovery. When Mitt came into office, the state was losing jobs every month. When he left office, the economy was generating new jobs by the thousands.”
Now I will stipulate that this information came from Romney’s own website and I did not independently verify these facts for myself, but I am going to bet they are pretty accurate. So here we have a man who was able to take a deficit and turn it around into a surplus. Why would we want to elect anyone like that to the Oval Office?
God forbid we elect a proven winner to the Presidency of the United States.
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Years ago I said that I would never vote for Romney in the GOP primary, and I guess that of those still in the fray I would probably throw my vote towards Gingrich if I were to cast it today. But, I wanted to take a moment to drop a few lines about Romney. Since when did becoming a wealthy and successful person become one of the seven deadly sins? I can’t imagine electing someone who has been a successful businessman to office. Heaven forbid we actually vote for someone who has taken a business and made it profitable. How could that possibly yield any experience toward balancing a budget and stimulating a market based economy?
Speaking of the budget and deficits and things like that, I learned the following about Romney’s stint as governor of Massachusetts:
“He eliminated a $3 billion deficit without borrowing or raising taxes. By 2007, at the end of Mitt’s term, the state had accumulated a $2 billion rainy day fund in its coffers. This stringent fiscal discipline provided an essential backdrop for economic recovery. When Mitt came into office, the state was losing jobs every month. When he left office, the economy was generating new jobs by the thousands.”
Now I will stipulate that this information came from Romney’s own website and I did not independently verify these facts for myself, but I am going to bet they are pretty accurate. So here we have a man who was able to take a deficit and turn it around into a surplus. Why would we want to elect anyone like that to the Oval Office?
God forbid we elect a proven winner to the Presidency of the United States.
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