tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65120205415704517412024-03-13T14:56:01.084+00:00UTTERANCEThoughts and recommendations for new & old TV, books, movies, comics, podcasts, games, art, <br>culture, society, technology... well everything.Warrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12798456979673666827noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-86290000900584504082018-02-12T14:00:00.000+00:002018-02-15T19:58:41.922+00:00Want to know what gerrymandering is?If you've ever wondered what exactly gerrymandering is, well now there's an app for that. What on the surface seems a complicated concept that might be hard to get your head around - rigging electoral boundaries so that you can win more seats despite not having a majority in the overall population, is made simple and clear with the delightful little puzzle game 'Gerrymander: Rig the Election'. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-55451778338149323082018-02-06T19:21:00.000+00:002018-02-06T19:21:17.218+00:00The fantastical world of Marvelous Mrs Maisel I gave in, I succumbed to The Marvelous Mrs Maisel! For many years my mother and sister have been imploring me to The Gilmore Girls. While they weren't the only to recommend it to me, they were my main beseechers, and while I never denied that what I had seen of it seemed to be well written with endearing characters, I just never found the time. 'There is too much other good TV I need to watch Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-70412617950287464752018-02-01T13:00:00.000+00:002018-02-01T13:00:04.124+00:00We're all looking forward to the next season of Jessica Jones, right?
I've sat through far to many hours of silly Marvel shows on Netflix, and it's all basically because of Jessica Jones. The first season was so adeptly executed, the story, the pacing, the characters, the performances, that it's glow managed to rub off on all those other Marvel shows. It didn't need the city/world on the verge of ending to create compelling tension, David Tennant's unsettling Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-85636409114765237892018-01-30T17:59:00.000+00:002018-01-30T17:59:45.340+00:00Welcome to Nightvale and my thanks to the Unseen Gods for fandom
I have a confession to make, I'm very behind in my Nightvale episodes. The cult hit just keeps rolling along, and I find myself completely out of the loop. I long for the dulcet tones of Cecil Baldwin, as the host of the community radio program 'Welcome to Nightvale', to be immersed again in that dusty, Lovecraftian, twilight space but life keeps getting in the way (ok, Youtube Let's Play Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-86104337540579209602018-01-19T13:15:00.001+00:002018-01-19T13:24:29.468+00:00The tension of the screen: Viewing Paterson with unconscious expectationI caught a screening of Jim Jarmusch's 2016 Paterson recently, and was struck by my innate fear of what would unfold. While watching, I noticed a constant tension in myself, unconsciously wondering 'when is the horrible, dramatic thing going to happen? Will it be now? Now?' I had to make the mental effort to push those feelings aside, and tell myself, maybe nothing like that will happen at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-15690209835611631312018-01-10T11:00:00.000+00:002018-01-10T11:00:28.415+00:00Hurry Up, We're Dreaming about the 80's with M83
Nostalgia is a powerful force, and when I first listened to M83's 2008 song 'Kim + Jessie' I immediately fell under its spell. It captured and condensed a nostalgic 80s aesthetic that seemed almost more authentic than music from the actual 80s might (In the way I guess only hindsight allows). When their 2011 album 'Hurry Up, We're Dreaming' came out, I was again entranced by that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-28119614802433910842018-01-08T09:00:00.000+00:002018-01-08T09:00:06.239+00:00Visit a different sort of fantasy world in the 'Broken Earth' trilogyI've just finished reading the third book in N.K. Jemisin's amazing Broken Earth trilogy ('The Fifth Season', 'The Obelisk Gate' & 'The Stone Sky'), and what more praise can I heap on the books that hasn't already been said. How thrilling and compelling it was to delve into a fantasy world so unlike the usual shtick, experienced through the eyes of complex characters of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-70761725403741242312018-01-06T00:57:00.000+00:002018-01-19T13:37:36.289+00:00I can't believe you're not watching 'The Good Place'Why aren't you watching the NBC comedy 'The Good Place'? Don't you have friends who care enough to tell you about great shows on TV? Are you some sort of contrarian curmudgeon? In case you're wondering, it stars Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, the later of whom wakes up at the start of the series to find that she has died and is in 'the good place'. It's quickly revealed that there has been a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-27253048776476750202017-12-16T15:32:00.001+00:002018-01-06T00:58:05.706+00:00Brigsby Bear is unexpectedly touchingWhat a surprising delight Brigsby Bear was. This 2017 creation of SNL alum Kyle Mooney, while fitting neatly into the quirky/indy mold, pulls at the heart-strings in unexpected ways. Without spoiling too much, it centres around the character of James, who has spent his entire life locked away from the world with nothing but the cheesy TV show 'Brigsby Bear' to keep him company. When he eventuallyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-58988616906645860942017-12-08T00:04:00.001+00:002018-01-06T02:21:42.107+00:00Nothing like a good old fashioned Murder to bring a community together
You should be listening to the 'My Favourite Murder' podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The format is simple - each episode they each bring a story of real life murder they have researched and tell it to each other, without the other knowing in advance what it will be. The murders could be from any era and any place, whether it was a century ago on another continent, or aUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-71563992651885035452015-08-11T14:29:00.001+01:002018-01-19T13:27:37.896+00:00Can we give True Detective season 2 a break?
It seems all the online commenters are in agreement that the
unanimous consensus online is that True Detective season two sucked. But was it
really that bad? There has been a lot of great insight in the recaps and
reviews I’ve been reading as the series progressed (Vulture, Salon, The Atlantic, all the good ones), but I wonder if perhaps the
disappointment from the second series stemmed in Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-48179254763426581442011-08-26T12:16:00.000+01:002011-08-26T12:16:01.998+01:00Google Please
Oh Google, could you do me a little favour please? I know you have a lot on your plate, what with Google Plus and whatever company your probably planning on buying next, but I really think it would be worth your while. You see, I’m a fan of Android, I like that adults are allowed to use it, as opposed to the mollycoddling iOS, but there is an area it falls short on, and that’s music. You’ve beenUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-21449945074782583152011-08-21T14:56:00.002+01:002011-08-21T14:57:17.968+01:00Loving LovecraftHP Lovecraft has been on my 'to read' list for sometime, but it was only recently I picked up the lovely penguin paperback edition of the short story collection 'The Dunwich Horror' while browsing in Waterstones. The book is conducive to being read, and I quickly worked my way through the first story on a bus trip to Wales, the scenery of which perfectly mimicking the tale.
It was a pleasure to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-41097274671776990172011-07-14T21:56:00.000+01:002011-07-14T21:56:51.183+01:00Google plus circles and streamsI've been having fun with Google plus this last week, while getting my head around the hybrid Facebook/Twitter structure of it. I found a great post by John Tropea on the differences between Google+ and Facebook/Twitter, and he sums up my initial confusion on how sharing with circles works. Essentially, when you post something to a circle, that whole circle won't see it in their stream unless Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-59499471482535465392010-08-27T12:54:00.001+01:002010-08-27T12:54:41.885+01:00Chinese Soft Power and Australian ElectionsListening to an Economist podcast recently, I was interested to learn how China has been trying to develop its soft power on the international stage. They have been trying to promote Confuscianism, and values of hierarchy and authority. Basically, 'wow, look how good authoritarianism is!' and there definitely are some benefits - the govt can make quick and sweeping decisions in response Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-89104153488269325982010-08-08T19:05:00.000+01:002010-08-08T19:05:48.128+01:00I need to rant about Prop 8It was quite exciting to see the US federal court strike down Prop 8 the other day, even if that does feel a little premature given that it was going to be appealed to the Supreme Court and that could take a few years. What made it so exciting though was how emphatically Judge Walker struck down the ban, in his 138 page ruling - calling out all the nonsense spouted by the anti-gay marriage Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-87025383627004690032010-06-23T23:36:00.003+01:002016-04-30T14:00:12.001+01:00Behind every successful Feminist is a manI was pleased to see Katrin Bennhold's 'Feminism of the Future Relies on Men' in the NY times, and I continue to be surprised the point of view she put forward isn't more common, as it has seemed damn obvious to me for sometime. It seems commonly acknowledged that previous feminist movements 'pushed women into the world of men' (as stated in the piece), which would seem to imply the logical Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-65927161855933407382010-05-06T14:48:00.000+01:002016-04-30T13:56:40.374+01:00A Beginner's Guide to Ignoring Your Conscience
[Inspired by long political debates in online forums]
Sometimes we want something, but to get it we have to endorse a group that does something bad. Like persecute a minority, one that you might even be part of. Say for example you want to vote Tory because it benefits you in some way, but you’re gay, and they have tendency to wish gays didn’t exist. Fear not! All you need to do is convince Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-9874734332516835822010-04-07T06:39:00.001+01:002010-04-08T20:16:29.759+01:00Rufus Wainwright Irritates MeI've never really liked Rufus Wainwright much. I know he is one of the celebrity darlings of the gay community because he is so out, but I've always found him a bit of a twat. That opinion was only helped by his rather stupid opinion that gays don't need marriage, or at least he doesn't want one, so you can go marry your dog for all he cares. I'm always a bit flabbergasted when out Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-9755116243075177202010-02-19T13:20:00.000+00:002010-02-19T13:20:42.898+00:00ChatrouletteAh, what LOLZ. So glad that I follow @mariekehardy on Twitter, that's how I stumbled upon the conversation between her and @MyfWarhurst discussing the disturbing but enthralling Chatroulette. Basically it's a random webcam chat program - you login in are and randomly connected to someone else somewhere in the world, usually via webcam. If you get bored, just click next and go to the next person. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-76896666840000983292009-07-05T04:33:00.006+01:002009-07-05T05:26:21.296+01:0010 Reasons to love Chelsea Handler1. She's hot, intelligent, quick witted and a hilarious bitch.2. The way she treats Chuy.3. Ketel One vodka.4. The way she gives the comedians on her panel shit.5. The way she gives the celebrities on her show shit.6. My Horizontal Life.7. Her silver fox.8. She loves arcade games and has a Ms Pacman in her living room.9. Kaslapis and pink tacos.10. Gay Comedien: "OMG, can you imagine if you got Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-89279419789376614692009-05-24T16:21:00.003+01:002009-05-24T16:33:14.304+01:00Shock! Hollywood Studios might have to actually make good movies!This article in the LA Times is a great reminder of just how stupid Hollywood studios are. They are shocked to learn that DVD sales, one of their main sources of income is declining, and the more terrifying is that its the poor quality titles that are the ones with the steepest drop off in sales. You know despite the media blitz trying to flog crap, people seem to have better information from Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-13289704709704947382009-05-18T13:16:00.004+01:002010-08-08T19:14:47.528+01:00The Problem of Meta-NewsNewspapers are dying apparently. There is various analysis and commentary floating around on the webs to suggest so: Wall Street Journal about to go bankrupt, Chicago Tribune times, etc. The fear from this, to summarise from what I've read elsewhere, is that it will mean the death of quality in depth journalism. The traditional business model provided the resources, through classifieds, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-54597534054826594062009-05-17T09:01:00.006+01:002009-05-17T09:40:25.382+01:00S. Darko - The hack-jobSo I, err, 'obtained' a copy of S. Darko, and now aren't you glad that I did, because you don't have to wait your turn. I mistakenly presumed that Richard Kelly, written/director of the original Donnie Darko was involved somehow, I imagined that perhaps given the less then stellar performance of Southland Tales (neither a critical or box office success), that he had returned to the Darko universeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512020541570451741.post-75343746300235321352009-05-12T15:20:00.007+01:002009-06-10T13:30:25.738+01:00I Hate Gordon RamseyAah, Tuesday night television. First there is Two and a Half 'men'. What crap. It disturbs me that this show is popular, and it's just ruined Holland Taylor for me now, I used to like her in The Practice and Ally McBeal. Then there is the absurdly awful 10 Years Younger in Ten Days. Why do I feel that the show was made in Sydney. Maybe because the goal seems to be to make real people look plasticUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1