Here are my brackets:
Follow all of the action at The Consumerist:
Worst Company In America 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Worst Company In America 2012
Today The Consumerist launched their annual Worst Company in America tournament.
Here are my brackets:
Follow all of the action at The Consumerist:
Worst Company In America 2012
Here are my brackets:
Follow all of the action at The Consumerist:
Worst Company In America 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
My favorite songs of 2011
Honorable mention: The Lonely Island (feat. Michael Bolton) - Jack Sparrow
10. Acid House Kings - Would You Say Stop?
9. Leslie David Baker (feat. N.U.M.) - 2 Be Simple
8. Thao & Mirah (feat. tUnE-YarDs) - Eleven
7. jj (feat. Ne-Yo) - We Can't Stop
6. Shirley Manson & Serj Tankian - The Hunger
5. Apparat (feat. Soap&Skin) - Goodbye
4. The Luyas - Too Beautiful To Work
3. Air France - It Feels Good To Be Around You
2. Lana Del Rey - Video Games
1. The Chemical Brothers - Container Park
10. Acid House Kings - Would You Say Stop?
9. Leslie David Baker (feat. N.U.M.) - 2 Be Simple
8. Thao & Mirah (feat. tUnE-YarDs) - Eleven
7. jj (feat. Ne-Yo) - We Can't Stop
6. Shirley Manson & Serj Tankian - The Hunger
5. Apparat (feat. Soap&Skin) - Goodbye
4. The Luyas - Too Beautiful To Work
3. Air France - It Feels Good To Be Around You
2. Lana Del Rey - Video Games
1. The Chemical Brothers - Container Park
My favorite albums of 2011
Honorable Mention: The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
10. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
9. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
8. Zola Jesus - Conatus
7. Kemopetrol - A Song & A Reason
6. Moby - Destroyed
5. Guano Apes - Bel Air
4. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
3. Wye Oak - Civilian
2. Geike Arnaert - For The Beauty Of Confusion
1. The Chemical Brothers - Hanna
10. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
9. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
8. Zola Jesus - Conatus
7. Kemopetrol - A Song & A Reason
6. Moby - Destroyed
5. Guano Apes - Bel Air
4. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
3. Wye Oak - Civilian
2. Geike Arnaert - For The Beauty Of Confusion
1. The Chemical Brothers - Hanna
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
"My name isn't slick. It's Zoidberg. John F***ing Zoidberg."
Thursday night's episode of Futurama, The Silence of the Clamps, had a bunch of great Zoidberg moments. The end had this great exchange:
Delivery boy: Pizza's here.
Bender: Wooo! I'll just cut that.
Zoidberg: You do and I'll f***ing gut you like a fish. (Slowly cuts the pizza while glaring at everyone).
And earlier in the episode there was a sequence that was just begging to be turned into an animated gif, so I did (although it's been almost 2 days since the episode aired, so I'm almost certainly not the first). Click the picture for a bigger version.
Delivery boy: Pizza's here.
Bender: Wooo! I'll just cut that.
Zoidberg: You do and I'll f***ing gut you like a fish. (Slowly cuts the pizza while glaring at everyone).
And earlier in the episode there was a sequence that was just begging to be turned into an animated gif, so I did (although it's been almost 2 days since the episode aired, so I'm almost certainly not the first). Click the picture for a bigger version.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
My 7 top people to be The Next Boss* on The Office
*If from now on there're only going to refer to Michael Gary Scott as "the last boss," (which, if you ask me, is f'in awful) then it's only fair that the next boss, whoever it might be, is only ever referred to as "the current boss."
Note: Only people who are realistic possibilities were eligible for this list. People who are currently committed to other shows, are movie stars, are dead, or have not yet born were not considered.
7. James Spader
Of the outside people interviewed in the season finale, my favorite was Will Arnett, who would have been perfect as the next boss. Unfortnately, he's already going to be on another show this fall. Of the other candidates, James Spader seems like the most realistic possibility. The problem is that they've already pigeonhold his character in a big, and not good, way. I think the the next boss should be similar to Michael in that he or she is well-meaning, but flawed, and should have a whole new set of comedic quirks. I think James Spader could definitely meet that requirement, but I'm not sure his character could.
6. Ed Helms
The problem with an internal hire is that what's needed isn't a new regional manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, but a new star of The Office. With Michael leaving they lost the comedic head, and the internal hire candidates are all appendages. By choosing one of them, no matter which, you're just getting another arm or leg, and The Office isn't going to work as some kind of headless 3 legged monster. Of those still being considered by the end of the season 7 finale, Ed Helms might be the best choice, as he's a big movie star now, and as fleshed out as his character is, it seems like there's still room for him to develop if he was made the next boss (although obviously he could never be referred to by his character's name again if he was chosen).
5. Patrick Stewart
Yes, seriously. While this is admittedly a risky choice, I think there's a very good chance that he would be awesome as the next boss, considering he was hilarious on Extras, and he's always good on American Dad.
4. An SNL alum, such as Darrell Hammond, Steve Martin, Jon Lovitz, or Chris Parnell
Basically, someone with an established improv background (transferability of credits is not an issue). While there are obviously issues with these actors having been established as actors on past episodes, comedy trumps continuity.
3. Ken Marino
He was hilarious on Party Down as a very Michaelesque boss, and I see no reason why he would be any less hilarious on The Office.
2. Kristen Wiig
She's been my favorite SNL cast member ever since I started watching it again a few years ago, and is so versatile that she would be great at 10 completely different versions of the next boss.
1. John Hodgman
obv.
Note: Only people who are realistic possibilities were eligible for this list. People who are currently committed to other shows, are movie stars, are dead, or have not yet born were not considered.
7. James Spader
Of the outside people interviewed in the season finale, my favorite was Will Arnett, who would have been perfect as the next boss. Unfortnately, he's already going to be on another show this fall. Of the other candidates, James Spader seems like the most realistic possibility. The problem is that they've already pigeonhold his character in a big, and not good, way. I think the the next boss should be similar to Michael in that he or she is well-meaning, but flawed, and should have a whole new set of comedic quirks. I think James Spader could definitely meet that requirement, but I'm not sure his character could.
6. Ed Helms
The problem with an internal hire is that what's needed isn't a new regional manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, but a new star of The Office. With Michael leaving they lost the comedic head, and the internal hire candidates are all appendages. By choosing one of them, no matter which, you're just getting another arm or leg, and The Office isn't going to work as some kind of headless 3 legged monster. Of those still being considered by the end of the season 7 finale, Ed Helms might be the best choice, as he's a big movie star now, and as fleshed out as his character is, it seems like there's still room for him to develop if he was made the next boss (although obviously he could never be referred to by his character's name again if he was chosen).
5. Patrick Stewart
Yes, seriously. While this is admittedly a risky choice, I think there's a very good chance that he would be awesome as the next boss, considering he was hilarious on Extras, and he's always good on American Dad.
4. An SNL alum, such as Darrell Hammond, Steve Martin, Jon Lovitz, or Chris Parnell
Basically, someone with an established improv background (transferability of credits is not an issue). While there are obviously issues with these actors having been established as actors on past episodes, comedy trumps continuity.
3. Ken Marino
He was hilarious on Party Down as a very Michaelesque boss, and I see no reason why he would be any less hilarious on The Office.
2. Kristen Wiig
She's been my favorite SNL cast member ever since I started watching it again a few years ago, and is so versatile that she would be great at 10 completely different versions of the next boss.
1. John Hodgman
obv.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Failure of "Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" Celebrated As a Triumph of the Free Market
by Miles Alport-Haypp, Associative Press Culture Writer
This weekend saw the long-awaited release of the film Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, which has been hailed by some as "the first tea party movie."
The film is based on Ayn Rand's 1957 novel of the same name, which presents the philosophy of objectivism, a central plank of which is laissez-faire, free market economics with no government regulation. The book has been cited as being as a huge inspiration to many right-wing political figures, from Alan Greenspan to Paul Ryan.
Alan Greenspan, who served as Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, was a member of Rand's inner circle while the novel was being written. In 2001 Greenspan supported George W. Bush's proposal for major tax cuts, primarily to America's wealthiest citizens. Greenspan argued that doing so would ensure that the country didn't pay off its debt too quickly. Then in 2004 Greenspan supported drastic cuts to social security and medicare in order to alleviate the country's debt burden. In 2005 Greenspan dismissed the idea of a national housing bubble as only a "little froth."
Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, whose recent budget proposal was hailed by beltway insiders as "serious" and "courageous" before being dismissed by economists as a fraud, would supposedly cut $4 trillion from the national debt by projecting an unrealistically low 2.8% unemployment rate and magically make tax cuts increase revenue, among other things. Even in the unlikely event that those savings materialized, however, the plan would uncontroversially implement $3 trillion in tax cuts, primarily for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, along with $3 trillion in cuts to government services which many Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and Medicare, which would be phased out over time. Nonetheless, on April 15, Ryan's budget passed in the Republican controlled House on a near party-line vote of 235-193.
"Despite numerous clear instances of their economic philosophy failing in reality, they still hold it to be true, perhaps even more so after each failure. So after the disaster that is this movie, they'll probably hold it more true than ever before," said Roxanne Porter, a professor of political science at an area university.
According to weekend box office receipts, the film earned approximately $1.67 million over its opening weekend in limited release across the United States. The film's poor performance cast doubt on whether Parts 2 and 3 would ever be made.
Critics were nearly unanimous in panning the film, which only had 2 positive reviews out of 21 on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. However, critics were divided over what exactly was the film's chief failure. Some critics cited the cast's wooden acting, others cited the film's script and stilted dialogue, while still others cited the imbecilic worldview presented in the movie.
Nonetheless, tea partiers, objectivists, libertarians, and other devotees of free market economics around the country celebrated the complete financial and critical failure of the film.
"The invisible hand of the free market has spoken loud and clear, and it is an honor and a privilege for all of us to be here and be a part of this historic event," said tea party leader Michael Whittaker at one event celebrating the film's failure. He continued, "Although Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 failed miserably, we know that this was the will of the invisible hand, which is never wrong, and must always be celebrated, regardless of the outcome."
This is not the first time celebrating such a failure for some tea partiers. Samuel Hooper owned a dry-cleaning business for 6 years before he was forced out of business after his clientele was drawn away by competing dry-cleaning businesses which offered better service and lower rates.
"Personally, it was devastating, but at the same time it was beautiful to be touched by the Hand. I can only hope the celebrations for the failure of this movie are half as awesome as when I celebrated the failure of my business," Hooper said.
Meanwhile, liberal activists also tried to raise awareness of the film. Area residents Neal Hamilton and his fiancée Carla Robertson even went so far as to buy up dozens of tickets for the movie showing at the cineplex in a local mall and then walked around for hours giving away the tickets for free.
"There's been a lot of talk about the tea party over the last couple years, but not everyone is really sure what that means. So here's a movie based on one of their most influential works which depicts how they see the world," Hamilton said.
Robertson continued, "We hope that everyone sees this movie and then the next time they see a news report about the tea party, they'll remember that this film portrays their ideals. Giving away tickets for free is our little way of helping make that happen."
The potential irony of giving away free tickets to Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 was not lost on either of them.
"Trust me, there is nothing remotely altruistic about giving away free tickets to Atlas Shrugged: Part 1," said Hamilton, who paused, then added, "If anything, it's sadistic."
This weekend saw the long-awaited release of the film Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, which has been hailed by some as "the first tea party movie."
The film is based on Ayn Rand's 1957 novel of the same name, which presents the philosophy of objectivism, a central plank of which is laissez-faire, free market economics with no government regulation. The book has been cited as being as a huge inspiration to many right-wing political figures, from Alan Greenspan to Paul Ryan.
Alan Greenspan, who served as Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, was a member of Rand's inner circle while the novel was being written. In 2001 Greenspan supported George W. Bush's proposal for major tax cuts, primarily to America's wealthiest citizens. Greenspan argued that doing so would ensure that the country didn't pay off its debt too quickly. Then in 2004 Greenspan supported drastic cuts to social security and medicare in order to alleviate the country's debt burden. In 2005 Greenspan dismissed the idea of a national housing bubble as only a "little froth."
Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, whose recent budget proposal was hailed by beltway insiders as "serious" and "courageous" before being dismissed by economists as a fraud, would supposedly cut $4 trillion from the national debt by projecting an unrealistically low 2.8% unemployment rate and magically make tax cuts increase revenue, among other things. Even in the unlikely event that those savings materialized, however, the plan would uncontroversially implement $3 trillion in tax cuts, primarily for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, along with $3 trillion in cuts to government services which many Americans rely on, such as Medicaid and Medicare, which would be phased out over time. Nonetheless, on April 15, Ryan's budget passed in the Republican controlled House on a near party-line vote of 235-193.
"Despite numerous clear instances of their economic philosophy failing in reality, they still hold it to be true, perhaps even more so after each failure. So after the disaster that is this movie, they'll probably hold it more true than ever before," said Roxanne Porter, a professor of political science at an area university.
According to weekend box office receipts, the film earned approximately $1.67 million over its opening weekend in limited release across the United States. The film's poor performance cast doubt on whether Parts 2 and 3 would ever be made.
Critics were nearly unanimous in panning the film, which only had 2 positive reviews out of 21 on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. However, critics were divided over what exactly was the film's chief failure. Some critics cited the cast's wooden acting, others cited the film's script and stilted dialogue, while still others cited the imbecilic worldview presented in the movie.
Nonetheless, tea partiers, objectivists, libertarians, and other devotees of free market economics around the country celebrated the complete financial and critical failure of the film.
"The invisible hand of the free market has spoken loud and clear, and it is an honor and a privilege for all of us to be here and be a part of this historic event," said tea party leader Michael Whittaker at one event celebrating the film's failure. He continued, "Although Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 failed miserably, we know that this was the will of the invisible hand, which is never wrong, and must always be celebrated, regardless of the outcome."
This is not the first time celebrating such a failure for some tea partiers. Samuel Hooper owned a dry-cleaning business for 6 years before he was forced out of business after his clientele was drawn away by competing dry-cleaning businesses which offered better service and lower rates.
"Personally, it was devastating, but at the same time it was beautiful to be touched by the Hand. I can only hope the celebrations for the failure of this movie are half as awesome as when I celebrated the failure of my business," Hooper said.
Meanwhile, liberal activists also tried to raise awareness of the film. Area residents Neal Hamilton and his fiancée Carla Robertson even went so far as to buy up dozens of tickets for the movie showing at the cineplex in a local mall and then walked around for hours giving away the tickets for free.
"There's been a lot of talk about the tea party over the last couple years, but not everyone is really sure what that means. So here's a movie based on one of their most influential works which depicts how they see the world," Hamilton said.
Robertson continued, "We hope that everyone sees this movie and then the next time they see a news report about the tea party, they'll remember that this film portrays their ideals. Giving away tickets for free is our little way of helping make that happen."
The potential irony of giving away free tickets to Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 was not lost on either of them.
"Trust me, there is nothing remotely altruistic about giving away free tickets to Atlas Shrugged: Part 1," said Hamilton, who paused, then added, "If anything, it's sadistic."
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