I like Katie

This is my second favorite clip of her antics but I cant find a good example of the other one were she is even more "eccentric". I relate to her in some strange way.

Enjoy...

Adobe Survey Responce

Once again, a company has asked me to take a survey... and provided a comments section! When will they learn.

Dear Adobe people,

Perhaps you could make this part of a collection of benefits for people that actually PAY for your software. As someone who has owned Photoshop for a very long time I have to tell you I am a bit sick of competing against people that simply download it and make the claim that piracy is part of your business model. It is even suggested at times that the cost that I pay is adjusted to account for the lost revenue from piracy. I feel like after all this time Adobe treats me no better than someone who has never purchased it. The company seems indifferent to both extremes of user. The hoops I have had to jump through to install an upgrade on occasion have often make me feel no more trusted than a criminal.

Offering services like I imagine you may be planning here at reduced rates or perhaps even freely to long time owners of your products might go a long way to making people like me feel like we have not been made fools of for all these years for trying to be honest.   I often wonder if Adobe even knows who I am... or even cares. Considering how many people rip you guys off and how much simpler that is getting to do every day, maybe you should be doing everything in your power to build relationships with the people that have shown themselves to be loyal. Tying your products to online components that are NOT accessible to pirates or giving long time users access to online services seems to be one GREAT solution.   

Thanks, 

Murdock Scott.

My Advice To Consumer Reports.

Not to long ago I got fed up with looking for product information on the web. It's a quagmire out there. I am convinced that user to user sites are populated with people of questionable interest. like people trying to sell training on a software product, or just plain old sales and marketing people hired to sit in front of computers and relate their "personal" experiences about the product. Sure, many honest "real" people take the time to rate stuff they buy, but for each one of those, it would be a really simple matter to offset any timid "it didn't work that great" 3 star ratting with a glowing "OMG, this thing is awesome!" 5 star fix.

So, it dawned on me that I DID know of at least ONE impartial source of consumer information... The now classic Consumer Reports. So I signed up for their website to see what they had been up to. Now for those of you that don't know how CR works, here is the scoop.
1. They sell no ads.
2. They test all products impartially. I believe they actually buy them when possible.
3. They are a non-profit
4. All the testing is supported through the sale of the publications and now subscription to the website.

Problem is I think only people my age or older even, know anything about them... and I had forgotten. Worse yet, when I signed up the 2 things I looked for, had no reviews... sorta common stuff too if you ask me. I looked for electric toothbrushes and colorimeters for calibrating monitors... what? you don't think everyone needs clean teeth and a color correct LCD?

Today I got an email from them asking me to take a survey. I have a feeling that they are feeling a bit like a fish out of watter in a time when people throw up oppinions on the web constantly and they are scrambling to understand their place in it.

It's simple really, there is NO shortage of product information on the web... what there IS a desperate shortage of is QUALITY ORGANIZED IMPARTIAL product information. At the end of the survey they gave a place for notes... allways a bad idea when it comes to me, heh. Here is what I wrote to them.

Consumer Reports people,
I really hope you can become a force to be reckoned with in the digital age. User to user message boards and user "review sites are RIFE with companies "virally" hawking their goods disguised as real people. My own blog about headaches has people constantly posting about remedies that I highly suspect are paid to act as if they too are sufferers... It's getting really sick out there.

But in order to remain relevant I am afraid you may need to get aggressive. I was a very young kid in the 70's when consumer rights was the rage. People need to get mad again about being sold things that don't work, don't last, or are dangerous. I might suggest fighting fire with fire and get some people that really understand the bleeding edge of tech and have them creating "short attention span versions" of the hottest reviews and comparisons you do. (you may have to do a faster less in-depth "quickie" to be sure its still a product people are currently exited about) then they should "seed" these stories on sites like digg and reddit.

I may be telling you a bunch of stuff you already know, but I never see a CR story listed on Digg for example. Now your in a tough spot due to the whole "information wants to be free" dogma that is sweeping our culture and how that is in serious conflict with how you do your work... so I guess you may have to let "some" of it go... like I mentioned.. the "short attention span version" of the reviews. Get them reading, then REALLY play up the direct support with no advertising angle and maybe even EXPOSE the hidden advertising and "gaming" (fixing ratings) on other sources that they seem oblivious too.

The new systems of "monetizing" information are becoming too indirect and convoluted. Advertising is embedded in everything, as a response to our abandonment of our end of the contract to "Pay" for the content we watch and listen to. So now, the consumer has no tools to know wether he is looking at an ad, customer opinion, expert review, entertainment, piece of art or some combination of all of the above.

I am afraid I see it as a bit of a war, and you may be some of the last remaining "good guys". You offer a simple and honest relationship. "Buy our publication and we will gather a well rounded opinion of products for you so you can make better purchases."

I would hate to loose that.

ʇxǝʇ uʍop ǝpısdn

ɥǝɥ ˙sʞɹoʍ ʇı llǝʍ ʍoɥ ʇɐ ʇno pǝpɹıǝʍ ɟo ʇɹos ɯɐ ı ˙ƃƃıp uo ƃuıʇsod ɐ ɯoɹɟ ʎɐpoʇ looʇ sıɥʇ punoɟ ı ˙ʎʞǝǝɹɟ ʇsnɾ sı sıɥʇ ʞo


Go here to play

120 minutes archive

I came accross this tonight and just wanted to make a post to remind myself mostly. : )

It is a collection of compiled playlists from many of MTVs old alternative music show, 120 minutes.

The first one they have is episode #4 and it included such jewels as:

The Art of Noise-Peter Gunn Theme
Hoodoo Gurus-Bittersweet
Oingo Boingo-Stay
X-Ray: Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson-Language Is a Virus

Nice.

120 minutes archive

Where The Wild Things Are film... Laugh or cry?

I just learned of this a few minutes ago and it was a bit of an opinion roller coaster...

Doc learns:
Someone is making a film of his favorite childhood book Where The Wild Things Are
Immediate Response: Yes!
Slightly delayed response: Oh no... what if they don't honor the art or story

Doc learns fact #2:
Its a Spike Jones film
Immediate Response: Yes!
Slightly delayed response: Wait a minute... that could be bad, or could be good. Better look for pictures...


Immediate Response to image: No! No! No! Its never ending story 2008! please "random deity" NO! *sobbing ensues*
Slightly delayed response: Sure its live action, sure those are guys in big furry suits, but it still kinda looks cool. *sobbing ceases*

Doc learns fact #3:
The creatures are lovingly crafted by Henson studios
Immediate Response: Yes! If anyone can pull it off they can...
Slightly delayed response: But can they do it without inserting themselves into the designs? The beasts of WTWTA have a look that is very unique and classic, the same can be said for Hensons creations, problem is, muppets usually LOOK like muppets. Even ones not supposed to, like Yoda for example.

Doc learns fact/rumor #4:
The whole thing is getting killed. Warner Brothers is considering reshooting the entire film, fireing Jones and the writer Dave Eggers so they can rework it as a much more "Kid Friendly" film
Immediate Response: That never sounds good, Studio executives tend to think of kids in the lowest common denominator. The EXACT thing I loved about the book when I was a child was that it WAS subversive! It did make me feel like I may have some power or control over my own destiny, at least in my imagination. Children are smarter than anyone EVER gives then credit for, at least some of them are. When you make dumb media for them, you fail to challenge them and thats a tragedy. Please do NOT make a sub par "kid friendly" overly bright and cheery, trend laden, product placement filed, piece of crap in the name of Maurice Sendak!
Slightly delayed response: Eh, It probably would have sucked no matter what... *sigh*

Doc learns fact/rumor #5
Maurice Sendak has been quoted as saying that he loved Jonze and Eggers's script and that it was the perfect approach to the movie and if the movie was not made that way he would prefer there never to be a Where the Wild Things Are movie.
Immediate Response: Yes! Go get them Maurice!!!
Slightly delayed response: Wait a minute... Artist never have any control. Once he signed that paper WB can do what ever the hell they want. Even if thats a film version of Wild Things On Ice! Staring Dorothy Hamill as Max!

I have also just learned that some clips are starting to turn up on the interwebs. Aperantly there may be a fight going on and Spike Jones may be relesing the clips to prove that the film didnt need to be reshot due to tech dificulties like WB has be making souns about.

This is aperantly an early test... thats not the actual actor as Max and thats not his wolf costume, its an off the shelf sheep sleeper they purchased for the test.



That looked pretty cool... man, I don't know about this whole thing.

As I said... I am very conflicted. One thing is for sure... creative decisions about something very precious to me are currently being made by men in suits trying to maximize gross earenings... I hate that.


Updates:
Rumor: Dan Masse / Film Threat says... "I was talking to Roger Ebert about it after he saw the preview - he said it was by far one of the best things he'd seen in the last DECADE."

Embeding Hulu?

I am dubious at best...



Wow! well, my column width is too narrow but otherwise it freaking works. I guess TV is finally getting dragged into the present kicking and screaming.

Great to see the old SNL content. : )