pretty little letters

I was scanning the 2008 Webby Award Winners where I found Veer's Type City, a magical place where the buildings are made of the most lovely of typefaces. Explore it, and then get covetous perusing their type gallery. I want them all, especially the art deco ones. Maybe I should have studied graphic design.

finally!

Rejoice ye, for Mac users can now watch Netflix movies and tv shows on their computers without having to use Windows! What took so long, Netflix? Maybe I'll go watch some Family Ties now. Shalalala.

{previously on the Netflix vs. Mac saga}

single songs

Niall had a lovely idea and started a collaborative blog effort called Single Songs. I can't wait to see what everyone does with it. Here was my first post. But go to singlesongs.blogspot.com. Better yet, subscribe.

The Waitresses - Square Pegs

I started watching Square Pegs again recently. Filling in all those holes since I was 3 when it aired. The Waitresses show up in the first episode to play the freshman dance where they play "I Know What Boys Want" and the theme song "Square Pegs." It's even better if you watch it than just listen to it. The singer Patty Donahue has a presence that reminds me a bit of Alison Goldfrapp.

all i ever wanted

Spent the last half hour playing with this what Niall sent me. Best time suck on a Thursday: an interactive oval office featuring Palin! So many surprises. Being president is fun.

not too tired for you

Have you seen ronaldchevalier.com yet? It's the site of Jemaine Clement's character in the Hess' new movie Gentleman Broncos and it is full of ridiculous awesomeness to be expected from all involved. Those yellow eyes following your curser around are creep creep. The other day I got to see my homies Ali and Sam in action creating some big amazing harpie paintings for the gallery on the site. You can see a couple of them there already but there are more to come. Can't wait for the movie! (It premieres at Sundance and releases in Feb.)

more pretty

I use igoogle as my homepage. Maybe you too. It's a handy little thing to have my email, rss feeds, site stats, movies times, etc. etc. etc. all together for constant checking. Plus the artist themes make it pleasing to the eye. But you can only stare at an artsy drawing of sellotape or the same Swedish fashion lineup for so long. Well they've finally added new ones and and they are awesome.

A little Radiohead?
Or my current pick, Stella McCartney. Plus, the Keff Koons one has been updated with new photos.

I am pleased by little things.

Super duper things

people have sent me or told me about recently:

Mo Rocca and Tim Gunn critique polygamist style

Dude makes music by chopping up Alice in Wonderland

Justice and Chromeo on a kaossilator
I want one!

Robyn gets worked by Blip Boutique into a bunch of mini-vids
Plus my favorite, Robyn performs live in a country music club in Texas
Not to mention, Robyn and the Teddybears do The View--Bizarro!
Interpol's "Rest My Chemistry" also gets Blipped

Talks on TED--tons including,
intelligent crows
Ze Frank
J. J. Abrams (I'll never be mad at him again.)

Thanks J, N, M, etc.

cheating on leopard

I've been scheming for a week to get Windows on my Macbook Pro so I can watch stuff online on Netflix, which idiotically doesn't support use of their online viewing on Mac OSX. I figure if I had actually paid for Windows and Parallels which I'm using to run it, Netflix would owe me $300 as that's the only reason I would ever dream of having to use Windows at home. At the very least, they should be offering discounts to their subscribers who are Mac users who can't access this feature that they're paying for. I've sent them some emails about this without even the standard customer service practive of a response that the email has been received. Maybe they need to hear from more of you. Contact Netflix here if you are both a Mac and Netflix user, because although otherwise Netflix is super, they are cheating you.

The good news is, until Netflix fixes this oversight, I now have Windows on my Mac!

trafficking

Someone asked me recently what I use for my site stats which reminded me that I've been meaning to mention Clicky, which I think a lot of you bloggers would really enjoy if you aren't already.

Sitemeter was good to me for a while, but I didn't like that I could only see my 100 most recent visits, and I didn't feel like their enhanced service would be worth $7+ a month. Enter Google Analytics. I loved all the metadata, the free, and especially playing with the map overlay.
Though I'm sure it would be much more useful to me if I was actually using this blog to make a bunch of money.

Then I was introduced to Clicky Web Analytics and I'm loving it. First of all, it looks good.
Whereas Google Analytics give you a global view of your traffic, Clicky is more detailed and individualized. I know how some of you love to stalk your stalkers. You can name IP addresses, so you see names on your list of hits. Or "That creepy guy who likes toes." You can also list all visits from a certain IP address, so you can see how individuals use your site. You can see all outgoing links of a visit instead of just the first, like on Sitemeter. My only complaint might be that I can't link directly to referral websites. Oh and if you're on Wordpress or one of those that don't allow Javascript, you lose some stuff, like referrals. But I must really like it because at the end of the trial period where you get to use all the fancy features, I paid $12 for a year of an upgrade above the free plan.

So that would have been the long answer. I guess a shorter answer is: I check Clicky daily, Google Analytics weekly, and rarely anymore Sitemeter.

"The only other guilds I know are the Lollipop Guild and World of Warcraft Guild"

I'm not too savvy about business, politics, or money. So I don't understand the writers guild strike too well, but for some reason I'm compelled by it so I had to go do a little research. The problem I've come across is there's a whole lot in support of the WGA and very little that clearly explains the side of the studios and producers. And of course many details can't be made available to the general public so we only get so much. But I thought I'd share some interesting things I've come across. Also I can't for the life of me write "strike" instead of "strick." Geez.

Why the Striking Writers are Right
An Entertainment Weekly article with a good review of the details and their stance. The current issue also has a good article explaining the studios' options without writers (write themselves, more reality tv, etc.).

United Hollywood
An unofficial striker's central with videos like Why We Strike explaining their case and other info for supporters.

Scenes From the Writer's Strike
From Slate, a few days in the life of an almost-made-it Hollywood writer.

Here In Idaho
A little dissent here, we have a blogger's entertaining rant against the strike and the responses that ensue.

Ask A Ninja gives advice to Strikers
From which the title of this post was stolen. He also suggests replacing strikers with vikings.

AMPTP
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers includes a FAQ that doesn't address any helpful questions about the strike, they just tell you how easy it is to work during the strike and resign from the WGA. It also links to articles such as the one that I would have mistaken for an Onion article where Michael Eisner's stance is to simply call the strike "stupid" and suggest that strikers go to Steve Jobs' office instead because Apple is the only one making money from digital distribution. One of the difficulties I have with their arguments is they want three years to study the internet, but technology and the internet change so fast that in three years they'll need a new three year study.

How Long Before Your Shows Go Dark?
TV Guide runs down what the networks have stockpiled.

And finally, the writers of The Office, many of whom are also actors on the show, on the picket line.

The whole promotion thing is in reference to the studios' claims that online content is merely promotional material for television airings.

So there you have it. I feel so educated now. Too bad I should have been spending this time reading research journals and treatment manuals.

I guess that makes me Esther

I heard two opinions about blogging yesterday, which both kinda suprised me with their narrow view.

1. The blogosphere is the saddest place on earth.
- Entertainment Weekly.
Since when does Livejournal count as the blogosphere?

2. Blogs, etc. are for Lester the Molester, Chester the Molester, and Esther the Molester.
- an acquaintance.
Only if you're stupid.

Many qualms about blogging are about a much more specific aspect of our culture and blanket statements about blogs just can't really be accurate given the range of their topics and the purposes they serve. Man people who don't love the internet really get me going.

So, I've been tagged. I managed to avoid the blogging chain letter when this blog was less personal, but now thanks Mr. President for the forced self-indulgence. The thing is, I'm changing the rules:

• I will be sharing music related facts since half of the time that's what this blog is about.
• When you are tagged, you get to make up your own rules about what kind and how many items about yourself to write.
  
• If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged--but only if you want to be--and link to yourself in the comments. I'd be interested to read about anyone who reads this blog but I'd rather not force you. This is based on the KST Theory of Tagging:
  

"Getting tagged should be like in elementary school. If the kid who's IT is ugly, you run faster. Or maybe you have a crush on them so you slow down and let them tag you. Whether or not you get tagged should be up to you."

Here we go.

1. The first song I can remember ever being obsessed with was "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees. I was maybe 5 and I listened to it over and over especially at bedtime. My exposure to this is credited to my Aunt Stacie who is just a few years older than I am. Part of my intense love for Paul Simon can also be attributed to her and her twin sister Stephanie because on one visit to Grandma's I overheard Graceland being played every morning in the bathroom while they got ready for school. Oh and speaking of Paul, the longest book I ever read, Conversations With the Capeman about Salvador Agron, I read because of his musical The Capeman.

mp3: Shonen Knife - Daydream Believer (Monkees cover)
mp3: Manfred Mann - Last Train to Clarksville (Monkees cover)
mp3: Jens Lekman - You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover)
mp3: Grizzly Bear - Graceland (Paul Simon cover)

2. I have always been fairly shy but for some reason I'm bolder at shows (though sober--remember I'm a good Mormon girl). I once got into an argument with a large Black bouncer at Roseland Ballroom in NYC after seeing The White Stripes that ended in Amy and me getting in for a second night of Jack and Meg for free. I've yelled at and shoved Dance Bully, this guy who frequents the SLC shows with violent and self-obsessed dancing, for dancing on top of me. And I don't think twice about glaring at the annoying kids (do NOT sing in my ear). But in the rest of life I think I'm quite kind.

mp3: The White Stripes - Death Letter/Motherless Children (live)

3. The first concert I attended was Garth Brooks with my parents. This was not my musical choice and I'm not too proud of it. But I was young and all I remember is watching the beer bongs.

4. I've played the euphonium since age 10 and the piano since age 3. And the guitar since college just a little bit. I'd like a really old piano or any piano, and a shiny new silver marching euphonium so I don't have to look at the dents anymore and can stand with it more easily. I will learn the accordion next, since my dad is a virtuoso.

5. I've never sent fan mail, but once wrote, kept, then tossed a letter to David Gray.

mp3: David Gray - This Years Love

6. One of my roommates is one of The Moz Twins, sisters who maybe are the biggest Morrissey fans ever and maybe are famous among the fan community. Their devotion to "The Man" is fascinating. I'd like to make a documentary about them but haven't asked. If you guys read this, consider the offer.

mp3: Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday

7. I always think I'll write music but I don't. The only thing I've ever written was a Tarantella that my piano teacher made me play in a competition. It wasn't good or anything.

8. In college a friend taught me to do something called Music Appreciation. Music can be very moving, especially when you lay down touching your feet or whole body to a large speaker and let the vibrations move your innards.

Oh and also I've now been to Abbey Road. Oh John Lennon's birthday. But that's not number 9 cause we gotta keep things even around here.