Douglas Coupland is on MySpace!
The ringleader (tormentor extraordinaire), ultimate Canadian and big brother of all generation-X’ers, Mr Douglas Coupland has been discovered on MySpace. That’s right, Douglas Coupland is on MySpace.
To read a blurb about MySpace’s latest user demographic information and to link to recent data on the matter, check out Cult of MaHKU.
Microsoft, Yahoo link instant messaging systems
YAHOO and Microsoft announced that they would tear down the wall
between their formerly exclusive instant messaging services and allow members
to mingle beginning Wednesday. The union of Yahoo Messenger and Windows
Live Messenger systems would create the world’s largest combined IM
network with nearly 350m users, the US companies said in a joint
release.
Click here to read the full story.
Source: AFP, Middle East Times
Period film posters (meet popular culture)
THE OTHER DAY, I selected a handful of film posters, on the premise they accurately captured an essence of the popular culture (and/or popular factions) in Western cinema at the time.
On a totally separate note, I found a really interesting site that hyper-analyses themes, issues and ideas in cinema. Images: A journal of film and popular culture is an interesting site for a film buff of any degree, purely on the basis of the random information available on the site and also the analysis of relatively obscure ideas and subject matter. The information isn’t organised as thematically or methodically as it could be, but there is some cool stuff on the site. The “In Focus” feature this week is sure to bring tears to the eyes of any warm-blooded North American that grew up in the 60s, 70 or 80s watching old Westerns after school or late at night: “30 Great Westerns.” Ummm, can somebody say John Wayne?
The features on the site more academically written than journalism, but the benefit of that is that its well-researched and methodically analysed or deconstructed. I’ve found a number of must-read articles on the site that I must recommend to anyone that considers themself a cinema enthusiast of any degree …
• “Monster at the Soda Shop: Teenagers and Fifties Horror Films”
• “Cleopatra Jones: 007(Blaxploitation, James bond and Reciprocal Co-optation)**
• “Billy Wilder: About Film Noir” and “Samuel Fuller: About Film Noir” (These are both interviews)
**This article about “Blaxploitation” (The exploitation of black people) in the cinema is a really interesting read.
On a separate note, for anyone studying or interested in the study of popular culture in cinema, this page from the English Department at Berkeley University in California, lists some good resources and links. It’s a starting point. I’m working on a project encompassing this sort of stuff. If anyone knows of any good resources in the realm of iconogaphy, cinema and popular culture — please get in touch. –Saba
1955
1963
1966
1972
1986
2001
“Subscribe to MySpace magazine”
Well, not yet, but you might be hearing that request in the near future, because MySpace is considering launching a magazine in conjunction with Nylon magazine.
Click here to read the story …
You know, I can see the good side and bad side to this. On one hand, MySpace has the publisher’s *dream* readership: 57 million (their numbers) young people with disposable incomes and a thirst for popular culture. On the other hand, it’s a bloody website and became popular for what it has been and is — does the world need another “young people focussed” magazine? Then again, it seems that MySpace management are aware of the risk such a venture could be to the MySpace brand … and if they’re gonna do it, they’re determined to do it right.
Nylon … hmm, not a bad choice, but definitely only established in the English-speaking world. I don’t see kids in Spain, France or Finland running out to buy a copy — so will the project be strictly limited to/focussed on the majority American and British audience? But doesn’t that defeat the mandate of the truly global community that MySpace was first to successfully offer? Well, whatever.
Clearly MySpace has indeed collaborated with the mag in the past, but perhaps considering the significant financial and global/cultural implications of the possible move, I reckon the venture would stimulate a great deal more analytical discourse if it perhaps considered collaborating with The Economist.
Ooohh, Rupert must be getting excited.
So, would one have to email bulletins and comments to a MySpace magazine?
Steve Jobs versus the Australian government?
Not really, but this article is an interesting news story about the current technology dilemma in Australia’s classrooms. Teachers are unwilling to switch to (less expensive) PC platforms because they rely on Macs as teaching aids, advocating the educational tools and software available on a Mac platform.
The article quotes the president of the Australian Mac Users Group (seriously?) … who says Aussie education departments have declared war on Macs.
Clearly the PC versus Mac debate has been going on forever, and clearly the problem isn’t unique to Australia — I certainly don’t know of any education department in any country that is excited to fund a dual platform system in its schools — and it’s no secret that PC platforms are significantly cheaper …
However, as a lifetime Mac user and “enthusiast”, I do feel that Apple’s growth and muscle should nurture the new generation(s) of Mac users by substantially subsidizing the costs for state-funded schools internationally. Yes, education discounts already exist, but as long as the PC versus Mac debate exists, and as long as the cost of operating on a Mac platform is significantly more expensive … Mac resistance will run rife in our bargain-hunting global society.
Brilliant, brilliant!!
This is AMAZING. Another YouTube treasure. I think the animation, cinematography and script are just wonderful. I was so impressed I looked up the guy that made it — It’s a 649 Films production — an independent New York-based film company that is the work of Mike Santoro, who seemed very humble when I sang his praise. Santoro said he had been going through some rough times, explaining: “This is something that helps me to keep going.” Wow — when I go through rough times I write longhand in my journal, or cry, or listen to Black Sabbath or The Smiths really loud … and this guy .. he makes totally amazing cartoons. I’m so impressed. Doubly impressed because I’m learning animation and flash right now and it’s not exactly an easy ride.
Anyway, you’ll love it x
Stop Googling things, says Google
This just in, from the European Journalism Centre:
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Stop Googling things, says Google
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GOOGLE has issued letters to media organisations asking them to refrain
from using its name as a verb. In order to ‘protect its trademark’, and
prevent it becoming a generic term, the search firm has sent letters to
publishers advising them on its proper use.
Google’s letter includes helpful examples of appropriate and
inappropriate use of the company’s trademark. For example: ‘I used
Google to check out that guy I met at the party’ is fine, but ‘I
googled that hottie’ is not. Similarly, it’s OK to say: ‘He ego-surfs on Google
to see if he’s listed in the results’ but not ‘He googles himself.’
The key distinction is whether Google is used to describe searching in
a general, non-specific sense. ‘With constant generic use, trademarks can
lose their special status and their proper name capitalisation,’ said
Google in the letter. ‘It has happened to once-trademarked products
including yo-yo, trampoline and nylon. Trademark lawyers call it
‘genericide’.’
Source: – VNU Net
Iran’s president launches blog
IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has joined a burgeoning international community – by starting his own weblog. The launch of www.ahmadinejad.ir was reported on state TV, which urged users to send in messages to the president.
Mr Ahmadinejad’s first posting, entitled autobiography, tells of his childhood, Iran’s Islamic revolution, and the country’s war with Iraq. The blog includes a poll asking if users think the US and Israel are trying to trigger a new world war.
Source: BBC
