Category: words mean things (Page 139 of 223)

Unbelievable ad of the week

There’s a commercial out now for Best Buy, where the tagline is something like “Do you like to try things out before you buy?” First we see the guy in a Home Depot-type store, passing by the toilets. Then you see him look around, raise up the toilet seat, drop his pants and sit down.

Then, in the next shot, you see him touching literally every surface at your local Best Buy – computers, VCRs, video games.

Remind me to bring a can of Lysol the next time I go to Best Buy.

Right now, the smallest number of comments on a post on Wil Wheaton’s weblog front page is 41.

Forty-one.

(And no, I’m not going to link to him. You already know the URL. And anyway, this parody of Wil’s deathless prose is more entertaining.)

Here’s an idea: ban political speechwriters. If a politician wants to say something, let them say it in their own words. If they want to address the American people, let them write their own speech. Look at it this way – if your doctor had to hire a writer to explain your diagnosis, you wouldn’t be really confident the doctor knew what he/she was talking about, would you? So why do we put up with it from the President?

I personally think being articulate about the issues that their constituents care about is a non-negotiable prerequisite for being a political representative of those constituents. Isn’t that what they’re there for, after all?

GWB, get out that pencil. Let’s see what you can really do.

Funny stuff – reads like an Onion article, but it’s a Car and Driver review of one of the most inessential vehicles ever made. So I guess the sarcasm is warranted. (via ***Dave again)

Reminds me of a bit Jon Stewart did about it:
“A Cadillac pickup? Boy, you know who would really like that?………..No one.”

Rhetorical question of the day

What’s wrong with people?

It’s fascinating how mysterious computers in general and the web in particular can be to most people. Little do they know that the web is just a bunch of text files sitting on a computer somewhere that instruct another computer to display words or pictures. It’s Microsoft Word with a network.

Of course it’s much more than that. But how much more useful and pervasive would the web be if people understood that it’s not magic?

Some people say I’m crazy to build systems for clients that they can update and maintain themselves. Aren’t I building myself out of a job, since they won’t have to hire me to do maintenance? Well, I do it because a client-maintainable site is just plain a better site – more timely and flexible. But I also do it because maintenance is irritating and fussy and doesn’t pay as well as design and programming. And I’d much rather move on to new projects than be stuck updating old ones.

Now I just have to line up some of those new projects.

My question about this story is, what the hell did he do on his day off? (via ***Dave)

Monster’s Ball
I’m going to make this one short and sweet. Perhaps the most “real” high-concept movie I’ve ever seen. One of the the best movie endings I’ve ever seen. Halle Berry is a revelation. See this movie.

Recently saw this article by the great supernatural debunker James Randi about how he believes media psychics like John Edward (“Crossing Over”) work an audience.

I like James Randi. I think he provides a note of common sense in discussions about the paranormal. But the thing is, I also like John Edward. I think he provides entertainment for people like me who don’t believe in him (his show is great trashy TV), and he provides some comfort for people who miss their loved ones. Yes, he makes a good living at it, but so do those guys selling “Make Big Money Now” tapes on late-night infomercials, and I wouldn’t let them borrow my car either. As long as John Edward isn’t bilking people out of their savings with his “powers,” I just don’t see the harm.

I think it was a major mistake for them to mount another “Survivor” series so soon after the end of the last one. It makes it feel more played out to have it starting up again with barely a breather – no time to build up anticipation. That was definitely the case for me. I wasn’t even going to watch it tonight, but I broke down and gave it a try anyway.

Well, the no food and water thing was intriguing – for about a minute. I nicknamed the tribes “The Ugly Tribe” and “The Good-Looking Tribe” right away. Then I felt sort of numb for the rest of the hour. When we got to tribal council, I smiled a half-smile about the “tribal marker” they use to write down people’s names. Then it was over.

I don’t think I’ll be watching this one any more.