i love love
Posted on Thursday, November 30, 2006
 I usually shy away from reviews on my blog, but I wanted to mention the new Beatles album, Love. Love is a remix/mash-up album created by famed Beatles producer George Martin ("The Fifth Beatle") and his son, Giles Martin. The work took over 2 years to complete, and was done in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil director, Dominic Champagne, to be used in their current show at The Mirage in Vegas.
Remixing classic Beatles tunes that everyone on the plant has been listening to for years? That's a frightening thought ... but the Martin's definitely pulled it off. Even Paul McCartney approves, "This album puts The Beatles back together again, because suddenly there's John and George with me and Ringo. [source]" The album is amazing ... do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. You can even check out samples on the official site.
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site notes
Posted on Sunday, November 26, 2006
For increased accessibility to SomeCrazyGarbage.com, I've added both an rss feed and an atom feed. Google has recently added Google Reader -- a web based reader that will help you stay up to date with your favorite blogs and news sites. Just add the link to my rss or atom feed to your Google Reader and see what it's all about.
I've also enabled live bookmarking, which is really great! Check out this tutorial for setting up live bookmarks in Firefox. Trust me, it's easy, and you'll love it!
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light a candle for AIDS
Posted on Sunday, November 26, 2006
 With World AIDS Day swiftly approaching (December 1st), Bristol-Myers Squibb is donating $1 for every virtually lit candle on their 3rd Annual Light to Unite website. Please take a second to light a candle! You can also use the site to pass the word to your friends, read stories, learn more, or sign up for a newsletter. Also help to spread awareness by going to World AIDS Day.org to add a virtual red ribbon to your website or blog.
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has claimed over 25 million lives. Almost 39 million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. HIV is now the leading cause of death worldwide among 15 to 59 year olds. Sub-Saharan Africa has been especially hard hit: the region accounts for almost two-thirds of people living with HIV/AIDS and more than 7 in 10 HIV-related deaths. Russia, India and China are considered "next wave" countries, where large numbers of people are infected with HIV. The Russian Federation has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe (an estimated 940,000). There are increasing concerns about the spread of the epidemic in Asia as well, particularly in China and India, the two most populous nations in the world. Like Russia, they are considered part of the epidemic's "next wave" and despite having relatively low percentages of their population infected with HIV today, the epidemic could expand significantly over the next decade if nothing changes. India already has the second highest number of people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the world (5.7 million). [source]
For more information, please check out these links:
We All Have AIDS.com
Know HIV AIDS.com
World AIDS Day.com
National AIDS Fund
AEGiS.org
amfAR AIDS Research
Youth AIDS.org
UNICEF.org
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google mapaholic
Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006
 I spent about an hour this evening poking around Google Maps. It seems that every time I start checking out Google's satellite photos, my body enters a time paradox that causes the progression of time to actually speed up. Either that, or I am a giant map-dork. Occam's Razor clearly dictates that the first is more likely to be fact. hehehe...
So anyway... I started poking around Cardiff, Wales ... searching for the location of the Torchwood base. (Torchwood is the new Doctor Who spin-off series -- and no, that doesn't further prove that I am a dork and that I'm not stuck in a time paradox.) From there I thought, 'there must be a website out there that can do this for me.' A Google search led me to Google Earth Hacks.com that will link you to all sorts of great stuff via Google Earth. Check out the house from Six Feet Under, London's Millennium Wheel/London Eye (wikipedia link), Area 51, or even the Epcot Dome. Whatever on Earth you're looking for, find it on Google Maps (or Google Earth). Just watch out for the aforementioned time paradox...
Oh yeah, and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed your Tofurky! But hold on tight ... the official holiday season begins tomorrow...
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do you support the army?
Posted on Sunday, November 12, 2006
 Ever since the Salvation Army placed an ad in my local paper's church directory, I've been meaning to look them up on the web. I never realized that bell ringing Santas were supporting a religious organization. According to Wikipedia, "the mission of The Salvation Army is to win the world for Jesus, bringing the whole world under the lordship of Jesus Christ. This mandate is based on the Army's interpretation of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. The Salvation Army believes, as stated in their first doctrinal statement, that only these scriptures, 'constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.'"
You can review the beliefs of the Salvation Army on their own website. The Salvation Army is anti-abortion, anti-gay (also see these), and anti-divorce. Whatever your stance on issues, make sure that you educate yourself before you drop your change into any red Salvation Army kettles this holiday season. I suggest donating your money to other worthy organizations, instead.
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vote.
Posted on Monday, November 06, 2006
 Tomorrow, American will elect a new Congress. At stake are all 435 seats of the House and 33 of the 100 Senate seats. Tomorrow we could see the balance of power shift away from Republican control. Democrats need to gain 15 seats to control the House and 6 seats to take Senate majority. In such a crucial election, every vote matters, especially yours. This election could shape the future of our country, both at home and abroad, during the final two years of Bush's presidency. Please, please, please, vote.
Not sure who to vote for? I'd suggest you go Green. But you don't have to take my word for it ... check out the issues and make an informed decision. Not registered? It's too late for this election, but not for the next one. Register now.
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xmas, conan, fountains, stories, the what, & more
Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Or, "Watch me jump from non sequitur topic to non sequitur topic with ease!"
I saw the first Christmas commercial of the season this evening ... and isn't it a little early? It's only the first of November! And it wasn't just a snowy winter commercial -- it was about how you can use Crest Whitestrips to whiten your teeth. "The process must take 2 months," I thought to myself, "Surly that is the only reason they would be advertising so early." But alas, using Crest Whitestrips takes only three days. And according to the commercials, you can be Home for Christmas with whiter teeth. Because clearly, that will make your family love you more.
 Something else that your family loves ... Late Night with Conan O'Brien! Our ginger friend in the PM, Conan O'Brien celebrated Halloween in Skelevision last night to rave reviews (from me). Using the audio from a an episode shot last May, the Late Night crew retooled the episode to be performed entirely by plastic skeletons. After the initial laughs with Will Arnett's and Conan's "In The Year 2000" bit, and first guest, Larry King's extreme close-up of his eyes (or lack there of), the hilarity of the format began to wane. But all was reversed during the final segment, where Sheila Kelly teaches Conan how to pole dance. While I don't think I made it to the last segment of the original episode airing (it's on from 12:35AM to 1:35AM, and hey, a guy's gotta get up for work in the morning), I doubt it including Kelly's head and O'Brien's jaw falling off. Instantly, watching plastic skeletons moving awkwardly while being controlled by barely hidden green-suited puppeteers, was hilarious again. It reminded me both of the Late Show claymation episode a few years back when one of the clay-people fell over and a giant hand reached in to stand them back up, AND of the awkwardly moving puppets in the genius Team America, World Police. Conan O'Brien is a comedic genius, to which most others pale in comparison. Get it? Pale? Anyway, I egerly await his take-over of the Tonight Show, and hope the earlier hour doesn't make him as un-funny as Leno.
 Another thing I'm looking forward to is Darren Aronofsky's upcoming film, The Fountain, especially after reading its recent article in Wired. Starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, Aronofsky's third work (after Pi and Requiem for a Dream) looks like it will be a film unlike any other. The premise is far from simple, (IMDB's Plot Outline:) "Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world." Originally slated to have a huge budget, and star Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the film was dramatically downsized after production fell apart. With new stars, a new budget, a downsized script, and writer/director Aronofsky's unwavering passion, The Fountain returned. Most interesting is that the film does not use any CGI effects, it instead employs the usage of microzoom optical effects. Aronofsky discovered the work of Peter Parks, who lives West of London. "The cost of a single f/x sequence from ILM can reach several million dollars, but Parks shot all the footage Aronofsky needed for just $140,000." His lab uses equipment that zooms in ridiculously close to chemical reactions, and records them. "Parks can make a dash of curry powder cascading toward the lens look like an onslaught of flaming meteorites." The trailer looks simply amazing. Read the whole article at Wired.com, here.
While you're at Wired.com, check out "Very Short Stories." The introductory paragraph begins with Hemingway's famous six-word work, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Wired asked some famous sci-fi, fantasy and horror writers to do the same, and the lit-nerd in me is loving the results. My favorite is: "Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth" which was written by Vernor Vinge. The six-word cynicism matches my own ... and I like that.
 Finally I'm excited about another author, Dave Eggers, who has released a new novel that is hopefully a little longer than 6 words. What Is the What, was released October 25th, and I'm already growing impatient for the soft cover release. His other books, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, You Shall Know Our Velocity, and How We Are Hungry are all fantastic. I might have to buckle down and buy the hardcover, unless one of my [sarcastic] many readers will buy it for me.
I hope you are as impressed with this enormous entry as I am. But alas, all good things must come to an end. I leave you with this one final non sequitur, this one from the new NBC comedy, 30 Rock, as said by Tracy Morgan's character, Tracy Jordan, "Live every week like it's Shark Week." That's deep. Both in that it makes you think and that sharks live in deep water. Wow... somebody call the Tonight Show, cuz these jokes are as good as Leno's usual material. Anyway, goodnight everyone, and Merry Christmas, a few months early.
PS: like the new site banner more than the old one? I do.
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