It's not common knowledge, but a lot of my viewers are aware that my old "true and blue" camera, the Canon Powershot A540 was entrusted to someone else and then stolen from them, among other things. That camera wasn't even state of the art, but it sure took excellent pictures and movies, despite some big flaws like battery life. Well I started doing research, thinking it was time to upgrade, and replace the old lost camera, and I finally came to a decision with another Powershot. This one is the SD1200 IS model and it's ugh... it's... I dunno...
It SHOULD have 4 more megapixels, however in all of the still photos I've taken there doesn't seem to be any clear superiority in comparison. The 6 megapixel photos seem to be about equal in clarity to the new one... which is quite concerning... But of course what REALLY matter here is the VIDEO capability...
I'm not sure what to think about this. The video stats are just about the same as the last camera, although I think the footage it takes is more grainy. On the upside, I've noticed that the sound quality is actually BETTER than the last one, it has less bass and more of a.... well it just sounds more realistic, I guess. Here's a test video I produced. Try not to cringe too much, because I'm not sure that I'll be returning it before the 90 days is up.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
This Post is Dedicated to the Memory of All Freedom Fighters -- Past, Present, and Future...
Read the title of this post. Don't get the reference? I've used those words before. The first time that there was supposed to be a "black out" on youtube I made a reference to the miniseries turned 80's television show "V." I re-read the letter the Jewish grandfather writes in the end of the second movie, and I "spray-painted" the red "V" over top of the youtube logo, in order to make a point.
Tolstoy's Call to War
You can say whatever you want about how silly the video is, I recognize that everyone thinks the internet is not "serious business," but I maintain that showing absolutely NO RESISTANCE to corporate agenda will rarely ever result in positive things. Even now, youtube is probably preparing to change for the worse... again...
For the longest time I've been expressing outrage at Hollywood's constant debasing of original and memorable art. It's not enough to dumb down modern culture, they have to change old artworks as well; make them simpler, and completely change them thematically until they no longer represent anything that they originally stood for. The latest victim of this trend, is sadly Kenneth Johnson's lesser known science fiction series "V."
When I first saw the miniseries, I was probably a little too young to understand any point that the writing was trying to make. It was late at night, and I have this distinct feeling that I had school in the morning. Nevertheless, my brother was flipping through the channels, and my mother was sitting on the couch next to him, and was surprised to see an advertisement on the SciFi channel, promising to air the first movie after the commercials. Mom was instantly stricken with nostalgia, and her description of the story was more than enough to enthrall us, and coax us into staying tuned. I remember being quite taken with it, although I don't remember much of the finer details, and I'm willing to admit that I probably just thought it was "neat-o" because my brother thought it was cool.
For years I had always intended to go back and re-watch the miniseries, with hopes of understanding it better in my adult years. I finally got my opportunity when I had to get all of my wisdom teeth removed surgically. For whatever reason, I decided that while my mouth was healing, I would take the pain medication and watch 80's scifi movies in a marathon. Fortunately, the pain medication made it just bearable. "V" was on the list next to, the Robocop Trilogy and the first and second Terminator movies, among others.
Kenneth Johnson was heavily inspired by one of my favorite authors, who I have heavily quoted through the years. Originally, he wanted to base a television series off of "IT CAN"T HAPPEN HERE," a novel by Sinclair Lewis (not to be confused with Upton Sinclair) about how easily Fascism can rise to power here in America. I'm pretty certain it already had by the 1980's, however, considering how stupid the average American is, NBC decided to water it all down with aliens. Fair enough...
SPOILER ALERT
In the original "V," the aliens were clearly symbolic of fascism. When things first go wrong, they generate a propagandist war on scientists who they proclaim are all in a conspiracy against them. In order to capture and control any and all scientists they create a ghestapo like police force that incorporates human youth, and wears a symbol which is similar to the swastika.
Having just finished watching the first episode of this new celebrated remake I can easily say that I more than disappointed. With the first episode being only an hour, the new writers attempted to compact the plot of the first MINISERIES (about 197 minutes) into about 45 minutes of air time. The rushed way they handled the plot is disgusting enough, and now on top of mediocre writing and piss poor acting, it is MY belief that the show's writers have attempted to re-create Kenneth Johnson's ideas into a political satire of the LEFT WING!
The commentary they use throughout the first episode is pretty blatant, and wasn't hard to spot at all. I am by NO means the fist person to call this new show out as a mouth piece for republican whining. There is a debate on the wiki talk-page, and a myriad of bloggers who have all come to this conclusion.
Allowing me the freedom to comment freely on every one of my suspicions, I would list them as such:
- The aliens won't be interviewed by the media unless they are presented in a positive light. This is probably meant to infer that the "liberal media" never casts democrats negatively, which explains why Obama got into office and all these democrats were elected to public service... yeah... right...
- When the reporter goes through with the interview without asking any hard questions an alien thanks him for doing this and says something like, "It's ok to sacrifice for the collective sometimes." This could be meant to demonize anyone who thinks socially, or isn't a complete RANDROID!
- The "EVIL" aliens at one point use the word "CHANGE" in a way that is far too obvious to not recognize. It's on par with the "cute" Bush reference in the movie "WALL-E" where the all controlling, over-bearing auto-pilot says, "Stay the Course."
- The aliens begin healing people with their advanced technology in ways that it could easily be compared to stem cell research. At one point, a character who was in a wheelchair stands up and walks. But of course, since the technology is ALIEN it must be evil... *SIGH*
- The aliens want to start healing all humans, the world over, and the reporter specifically uses the word, "UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE." Another carefully chosen term, that is far too obvious.
- Another phrase that the supporters of the Aliens use is "Spreading Hope." That one is a little more conspicuous.
- It is suggested that the aliens are being "worshipped" by those who welcome them, in the same way that Obama might have been seen as a savior to some people who didn't want to spend another 4 years with GOP in office. Granted, some people were getting a little too close to becoming "Change Zombies" for my taste, but whatever, the election is over and I cast my ballot.
- Two of the main characters, who get a significant amount of focus (who certainly weren't in the original miniseries) are two priests, who SOME have theorized may become the new focus of the oppression in this new series, instead of scientists the aliens would be oppressing religious people.
- An underground resistance group is started to combat the alien conspiracy, where (unlike in the original) they suggest that the aliens have been creating crises around the world, in order to create and environment that would be far more welcoming to the new "saviors." Terrorism, un-necessary wars, economic collapse, civil unrest all have NOTHING to do with the religiously corrupt and psychotic policies of the Republican part, no, according to the new "V," it's the fault of DEMOCRATS -- *COUGH* Errr... I mean... Aliens... riiiiiggghhhttt
I could be wrong. Right now I feel pretty strongly that this could easily become the next "Battle Star Galactica" the remake of which was extremely popular with conservatives for it's... well... something about it was in support of their ideals, I don't know. Either way, remakes are almost never necessary, and often times RUIN the spirit of the original. This is probably another example of that, I'm not very impressed with anything about it, and I can only hope that this whole thing is just another failed television abortion like every FOX show that they canceled FAMILY GUY for.
Tolstoy's Call to War
You can say whatever you want about how silly the video is, I recognize that everyone thinks the internet is not "serious business," but I maintain that showing absolutely NO RESISTANCE to corporate agenda will rarely ever result in positive things. Even now, youtube is probably preparing to change for the worse... again...
For the longest time I've been expressing outrage at Hollywood's constant debasing of original and memorable art. It's not enough to dumb down modern culture, they have to change old artworks as well; make them simpler, and completely change them thematically until they no longer represent anything that they originally stood for. The latest victim of this trend, is sadly Kenneth Johnson's lesser known science fiction series "V."
When I first saw the miniseries, I was probably a little too young to understand any point that the writing was trying to make. It was late at night, and I have this distinct feeling that I had school in the morning. Nevertheless, my brother was flipping through the channels, and my mother was sitting on the couch next to him, and was surprised to see an advertisement on the SciFi channel, promising to air the first movie after the commercials. Mom was instantly stricken with nostalgia, and her description of the story was more than enough to enthrall us, and coax us into staying tuned. I remember being quite taken with it, although I don't remember much of the finer details, and I'm willing to admit that I probably just thought it was "neat-o" because my brother thought it was cool.
For years I had always intended to go back and re-watch the miniseries, with hopes of understanding it better in my adult years. I finally got my opportunity when I had to get all of my wisdom teeth removed surgically. For whatever reason, I decided that while my mouth was healing, I would take the pain medication and watch 80's scifi movies in a marathon. Fortunately, the pain medication made it just bearable. "V" was on the list next to, the Robocop Trilogy and the first and second Terminator movies, among others.
Kenneth Johnson was heavily inspired by one of my favorite authors, who I have heavily quoted through the years. Originally, he wanted to base a television series off of "IT CAN"T HAPPEN HERE," a novel by Sinclair Lewis (not to be confused with Upton Sinclair) about how easily Fascism can rise to power here in America. I'm pretty certain it already had by the 1980's, however, considering how stupid the average American is, NBC decided to water it all down with aliens. Fair enough...
SPOILER ALERT
In the original "V," the aliens were clearly symbolic of fascism. When things first go wrong, they generate a propagandist war on scientists who they proclaim are all in a conspiracy against them. In order to capture and control any and all scientists they create a ghestapo like police force that incorporates human youth, and wears a symbol which is similar to the swastika.
Having just finished watching the first episode of this new celebrated remake I can easily say that I more than disappointed. With the first episode being only an hour, the new writers attempted to compact the plot of the first MINISERIES (about 197 minutes) into about 45 minutes of air time. The rushed way they handled the plot is disgusting enough, and now on top of mediocre writing and piss poor acting, it is MY belief that the show's writers have attempted to re-create Kenneth Johnson's ideas into a political satire of the LEFT WING!
The commentary they use throughout the first episode is pretty blatant, and wasn't hard to spot at all. I am by NO means the fist person to call this new show out as a mouth piece for republican whining. There is a debate on the wiki talk-page, and a myriad of bloggers who have all come to this conclusion.
Allowing me the freedom to comment freely on every one of my suspicions, I would list them as such:
- The aliens won't be interviewed by the media unless they are presented in a positive light. This is probably meant to infer that the "liberal media" never casts democrats negatively, which explains why Obama got into office and all these democrats were elected to public service... yeah... right...
- When the reporter goes through with the interview without asking any hard questions an alien thanks him for doing this and says something like, "It's ok to sacrifice for the collective sometimes." This could be meant to demonize anyone who thinks socially, or isn't a complete RANDROID!
- The "EVIL" aliens at one point use the word "CHANGE" in a way that is far too obvious to not recognize. It's on par with the "cute" Bush reference in the movie "WALL-E" where the all controlling, over-bearing auto-pilot says, "Stay the Course."
- The aliens begin healing people with their advanced technology in ways that it could easily be compared to stem cell research. At one point, a character who was in a wheelchair stands up and walks. But of course, since the technology is ALIEN it must be evil... *SIGH*
- The aliens want to start healing all humans, the world over, and the reporter specifically uses the word, "UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE." Another carefully chosen term, that is far too obvious.
- Another phrase that the supporters of the Aliens use is "Spreading Hope." That one is a little more conspicuous.
- It is suggested that the aliens are being "worshipped" by those who welcome them, in the same way that Obama might have been seen as a savior to some people who didn't want to spend another 4 years with GOP in office. Granted, some people were getting a little too close to becoming "Change Zombies" for my taste, but whatever, the election is over and I cast my ballot.
- Two of the main characters, who get a significant amount of focus (who certainly weren't in the original miniseries) are two priests, who SOME have theorized may become the new focus of the oppression in this new series, instead of scientists the aliens would be oppressing religious people.
- An underground resistance group is started to combat the alien conspiracy, where (unlike in the original) they suggest that the aliens have been creating crises around the world, in order to create and environment that would be far more welcoming to the new "saviors." Terrorism, un-necessary wars, economic collapse, civil unrest all have NOTHING to do with the religiously corrupt and psychotic policies of the Republican part, no, according to the new "V," it's the fault of DEMOCRATS -- *COUGH* Errr... I mean... Aliens... riiiiiggghhhttt
I could be wrong. Right now I feel pretty strongly that this could easily become the next "Battle Star Galactica" the remake of which was extremely popular with conservatives for it's... well... something about it was in support of their ideals, I don't know. Either way, remakes are almost never necessary, and often times RUIN the spirit of the original. This is probably another example of that, I'm not very impressed with anything about it, and I can only hope that this whole thing is just another failed television abortion like every FOX show that they canceled FAMILY GUY for.
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