silhouette masterpiece theatre

Oh these get me every time!

http://silhouettemasterpiecetheatre.com/

POV | Documentaries

I just stumbled across this website and I've decided to spend my afternoon previewing a few of these films. During the summer and fall seasons, PBS airs POV independent documentaries. This website offers a slew of information..from the bios of the filmmakers to even a few full length films. You can search for documentaries based on their topics and then check the broadcasting schedule to find out the next screening.

long live the book

The Amazon Kindle. So, I know I'm two years behind here, but I thought I would shed some insight into my feelings on the subject. A six inch display screen that can hold around 200 pieces of literature for $299. Well, they've since trumped that with the Kindle 2 (1500 titles) and the Kindle DX (nine inch display screen, 3000 titles). I'm a bit hesitant at the idea of an e-book. Sure, they make reading while travelling more convenient. Is this just a direct audience target to the most tech savvy of customers--im sure it sits quite nicely next to your iphone, ipod, mini notebook, cellphone, pager, garage door opener, etc. But, doesn't this seem to rob us of that tactile pleasure of reading? The touch of the hardcover binding, the smell of the pages, the aesthetic appeal of the typography and page layout. Their is something romantic, something nostalgic about curling up to a good book. You are both mentally and physically wrapped up in the material between the covers ..and how different it must feel to replace that with a piece of plastic. The Kindle stands for something so much greater than a technological "marvel", it further isolates the readers.

Uber-Geeks

Need to improve your typing skills? Have an extra $130 sitting around?
Introducing the..
"Best keyboard on the plant. Period."



Das Keyboard
With no inscriptions on the keys, this keyboard will improve your typing skills while adding "productivity and comfort" to your work days.
Reviews:
I view the Das Keyboard Professional like a pair of expensive jeans that look like any other pair of jeans, but you wear them everyday because they fit you perfectly.
-Sean Fallon, Gizmodo
By far the best keyboard I have used since I built my own 20 years ago.
- Bill Jensen, Professional

Well, doesn't this just sound too good to be true.

Google

I found the first half of this video quite relevant to Chapter 10 of our text. It delves into the history and power of Google. However, halfway through, the clip jumps into a conspiracy theory--one that I'm still unconvinced about. Sure, Google has a significant amount of control. I'm sure they collect user-data in a number of ways, but to say that this was their "master plan" and their intent all along is a bit far fetched. The internet is certainly not the most private place.

nightmare on bora bora way

"The body of Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed, 75, an apparent suicide, sat decomposing on his Marina del Rey balcony for days because neighbors thought the lifeless figure was a dummy and didn't call police." -LA Times

I came across this rather chilling article posted in the LA Times. Mostafa's body lay decomposing over a chair on the balcony of his third floor apartment on Bora Bora Way in Marina Del Ray. His body sat there for three days from a gun shot wound to the eye. Local cameraman, Austin Raishbrook noted, "the body was in plain view of the entire apartment complex and they all didn't do anything. It's very strange. It did look unreal, to be honest". What an eerie start to the Halloween holiday season.

"i'll eat you up, i love you so"

Where was I at twelve am last night? Sitting in a movie theatre watching the release of Spike Jonze's much anticipated film, Where the Wild Things Are. Based off the classic childhood story, this movie takes everyone, young and old, off to a world of imagination and adventure. Movies are always more apt to be at the forefront of scrutiny when they are adaptations of literature. We are so quick to judge, we instinctively draw comparisons and pick out flaws. This film didn't skip a beat, it maintained a vintage mood to an already beautiful and classic story. The puppeteering of Max's Wild Things, added an overwhelming sense of greatness. This film keeps you thinking about it long after you've left the cinema. There is something truly magnificent about it.