Failed Idealism

Inside every cynic is a disappointed and failed idealist

  • 2 Decades of Yellow

    • 14 Jan 2010
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    • Pontification TV
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    Simpsons20thchokelogo_blk_f

    7300 days ago The Simpsons were thrust forth from Matt Groening's
    bearded womb onto the world.

    20 years is long for any show, any series, concept, spin off let alone
    a cartoon.

    The shame is, although it has endured for this long, for the last 10
    years (and i include the movie here) it feels like The Simpsons has
    been some elderly relavtive of Fox's, (Simpson years are like dog
    years you see 1=7) has been on lifesupport. Machines and tubes coming
    in and out, pumping the faint drips and flecs of comediec brilliance
    that once abounded round a decrepid and faiing system.

    Whilst the Simpsons has been allowed to fester in it's vegatative
    state it has clawed in billions in revenue for Fox, and drained it's
    resources from other shows. Family Guy died many times, and was barely
    brought back from the brink. Futurama breathed it's last, whilst the
    Simpsons plodded ever onwards, a life sucking force bringing down
    everything around it.

    Fox - it's time, let the younger ones live now. Pull the plug and let
    our yellow friends slip out with some semblance of dignity, before all
    that remains is an empty husk, devoid of any fresh ideas or
    intelligence and satire that once reigned high.

    Let them go in piece.

    T

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  • Educating Me

    • 14 Jan 2010
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    • Self Indulgence
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    6 years and 4 months into my "gap year" I'm finally getting round to
    go do the whole higher education thing.

    *gulp*

    I'll be on the precipice of 30 when i finish my degree. Firmly into
    middle-age if i follow that with a Masters. which is a terrifying
    concept, one that smacks of, mortgages, long term plans, offspring of
    some sort and dreaded dinner parties.

    I don't regret much in my life, but i do wish i hadn't been quite the
    archetypal naive, arrogant and blissfully unaware teenager i was, and
    done this nearly 7 years ago.

    Anyway, looking forward to it, should be a fun 3 years or so.

    T

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  • Personal Theme Song

    • 14 Jan 2010
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    • Ideas Music
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    Inspired by playing around with the RjDj iPhone app www.rjdj.me/ (it uses the
    microphone to pick up ambient sounds in the environment and converts
    them to music using a sample beat to start with) it seems having your
    own personal theme song could now be possible.

    Bear with me here...

    If RjDj can pick up the pitch, frequency and volume of external
    sounds, and translate them, using a sample tune as a base point, by
    changing the style and sound of the base point, to say...an orchestra
    theme from a 50's movie, (or something more akin to a silent cartoon,
    where everything on screen in conveyed not with words with sound)
    couldn't this tech be used to pick up the speed of a walk, the sound
    of a raucous environment, and adjust the music accordingly?

    I love the idea of a beat or tune picking up in temp and volume as I
    walk down the street, raising itself into crescendo as I run for a
    train, or slowing, and become more melodic and serene as you enter a
    library.


    Right, I’m off to make this, or at least to jot down some ideas for
    implementation.

    .........another thought, a "blue mode" would be interesting, think
    about it, in the bedroom, with a strategically positioned
    microphone...music to "rock" to

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  • BBC Being Evil for a change

    • 30 Sep 2009
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    • Rants
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    The recent BBC post about encrypting broadcasts has angered me. The DRM encryption is just insult to injury.

     

    Given the choice I wouldn’t pay the license fee. Not because I have an inherent problem with it, but because it’s only the BBC that benefit from it. Purely because in the UK they don’t utilise advertising revenues to generate cash – unlike every other broadcaster across the world (other than PBS) I have to support this company? It’s not publicly owned, I have no democratic power to exercise over content, and yet I’m mandated to support them financially? The bailing out of RBS I can understand, because the investment might be returned, but the BBC just consumes....

     

    Even though the BBC hosts 7 TV channels, countless radio stations and the iPlayer I don’t use their content. I can’t remember the last time a BBC show was actually worth watching, the only content I consume is PM on Radio 4. I wonder how much the BeeB could charge me just for that usage?

     

    What I resent is being forced to pay for a service I don’t use. For me it’s like being directed  to contribute to my neighbour’s car payments. Sorry – why am I forking out for this? I have no use of the car, and yet I’m backing it financially?

     

     There’s no freedom of choice, it’s just forced down your throat with the threat of “pay it or else”.

     

    Actually now it’s starting to remind me of Gordon Brown being in power....or the banking bailouts....or the Iraq war.....or GW Bush “winning” the 2001 election....

     

    Damnit.

     

    T

     

     

     

     

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  • Apple 1984 ad, updated for 2009

    • 30 Sep 2009
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    • Apple Tech
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    via boingboing.net

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