Mike Williams

Dirk Benedict and Me

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Agree that Battlestar Galactica (the new one) is a big pile of crap.

I just read something he posted in 2004 before the show went on the air. His article in it’s entirety is definitely worth reading. This was before the new show even came out. We got the wild rumours that Starbuck was going to be a girl? Boomer wasn’t a black Viper pilot but now a female Asian?

Here’s part of what Dirk said…

For you see, TV Shows (and movies) are made and sold according to the
same business formula as hamburger franchises. So that it matters not
if the `best’ hamburger, what matters is that you `think’ it is the
best. And you do think it’s the best, because you have been told to;
because all of your favourite celebrities are seen munching it on TV.
The big money is not spent on making the hamburger or the television
show, but on the marketing of the hamburger/show. (One 60-second
commercial can cost more than it does to film a one-hour episode.) It
matters not to Suits if it is Starbuck or Stardoe, if the Cylons are
robots or lingerie models, if the show is full of optimism and
morality or pessimism and amorality. What matters is that it is
marketed well, so that all you people out there in TV land know that
you must see this show. And after you see it, you are told that you
should like it. That it is new and bold and sleek and sexy and best
of all… it is Re-imagined!

So grab a Coke from the fridge (not the Classic Coke, but the re-
imagined kind with fewer calories) and send out for a McDonald’s
Hamburger (the re-imagined one with fewer carbs) and tune in to
Stardoe and Cylon #6 (or was it #69?) and Enjoy The Show.

And if you don’t enjoy the show, or the hamburger and coke, it’s not
the fault of those re-imaginative technocrats that brought them to
you. It is your fault. You and your individual instincts, tastes,
judgement. Your refusal to let go of the memory of the show that once
was. You just don’t know what is good for you. But stay tuned. After
another 13 episodes (and millions of dollar of marketing), you will
see the light. You, your instincts, your judgement, are wrong.
McDonald’s is the best hamburger on the planet, Coca-Cola the best
drink. Stardoe is the best Viper Pilot in the Galaxy. And Battlestar
Galactica, contrary to what your memory tells you, never existed
before the Re-imagination of 2003.

I disagree. But perhaps, you had to be there.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The Problem with America…

…stems from the results of this poll on ZD Net.

It seems that Microsoft mis-calculated their severance packages for those folks that they’ve let go last week. Microsoft wants their money back.

At the end of the article, ZD Net ran a poll about what you, the reader, would do if you were a Microsoft employee and were overpaid.

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Most of the people who responded said that they would keep the money and just let Microsoft sue them for it.

Clearly. The wrong answer.

Thus, the problem with America.

Wow. Leo Laporte doesn’t like Cali Lewis anymore…

…because she voted for McCain/Palin and she thinks man-made global warming is a big fat crock.

Well, I voted for McCain/Palin and I also believe that man-made global warming is the biggest scam in United States history too.

I guess Leo Laporte doesn’t like me either.

That’s sad because I really liked his tech shows and could listen to them without ever personally caring about his views on anything else. I didn’t listen to him for any reason other than tech. Now, this changes everything.

I can’t support anyone who thinks that just because I disagree with them that I am a lower form of human.

I applaud Adam Curry for calling Leo Laporte out on this. I applaud Cali Lewis for being Cali Lewis and showing that she’s probably going to be the bigger person here.

If a tree falls in the woods, does anyone hear it?

If Leo apologizes on the air will anyone still be listening and hear it?

Update: I have un-subscribed from every TWiT podcast in my iTunes library. That type of bigotry has no place on any of my iPods.

Run for your life

It’s the book icon that’s been in my sidebar for over a week now.

If you like a novel written by two authors and read by two people (for each main character) then you’ll love this book.

A psychotic killer calling himself “The Teacher” is on the loose and it’s up to a detective with a house full of sick children to eventually try to save the day.

Worth your time and money.

Just go to Amazon.com or Audible.com and type in the name to find it. Yeah, I’m too lazy to do that for you today.

The Weekend

Lots of stuff going on this weekend. Everything from video production to podcast production to streaming audio to website design and everything else in between.

On top of all of this, I have to move. I believe I have found a great spot for Take That! Productions South. If all goes well, I could be moving as early as the end of this month. The building contains a video production studio, an Apple guru who works as a computer consultant, and is a dream for anyone who loves video and audio production.

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Cool. Huh?

Update: I actually loved this place and will be moving in. For the ultimate computer geek (ah, me) this place is awesome!

Oh, What a Week

I haven’t had time to even keep my own blog up to date.

After my previous post, you might expect something witty and perhaps pithy.

Ahhhh, no.

I am working at my daytime gig (daytime for now) and working at my other full-time gig (the radio station) and creating a wedding video and writing.

Whew! That’s quite a lot of stuff folks.