Disqus - Latest Comments for mkhall

Re: 15 Books with Completely Different Movie Endings

mkhall — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 19:38:58 -0000

I interpreted the end of the book differently. I saw it as saying that he couldn't escape what he/Tyler created, and that even with Tyler "dead," the space monkeys were going to keep Project Mayhem going, even if it meant destroying the narrator's life.

Re: Dangerous Minds | Residents reissue features never before seen photos of their early studio. We’ve got a few of them.

mkhall — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:38:23 -0000

It's pretty clear there was a structural change in the organization early on, but I don't find it compelling enough to make it a good/bad line of demarcation.

One of the things I've always appreciated about The Residents is that it's not enough to say you are a fan; you pretty much have to say which works you are a fan of. There are works from all periods I adore, but there are also plenty I abhor, too. Lately I've had a fondness for the purely instrumental works, which are likely candidates for being the product of non-Residents just working under their name.

And isn't that the point? The works should stand on their own merits.

Re: Dangerous Minds | Residents reissue features never before seen photos of their early studio. We’ve got a few of them.

mkhall — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 17:05:32 -0000

Terrific insight. I've been a fan of The Residents since the late '70s, and it's been fascinating to see their evolution over the decades. Assuming, of course, that the faces under the masks have stayed the same for all these years.

Re: Dangerous Minds | ‘Bulge Enhancers’: These skin-tight ‘Star Wars’ bodysuits give me the creeps

mkhall — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:53:46 -0000

That's odd, even for zentai.

Re: Dangerous Minds | Anti-Acid House propaganda from British tabloids, late 80s

mkhall — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:15:00 -0000

That first cartoon looks remarkably like a Jack Chick tract! It's not, obviously -- there's no "Haw! Haw! Haw!"

Re: AFP talks “The Art of Asking” at TED 2013

mkhall — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:26:56 -0000

Thank you for this, Amanda. Your ability to communicate is extraordinary, and your message is wonderful.

Re: Cult Of Android’s Swag Sundays: Win An Android Mini Special Edition – BBQ Blue

mkhall — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 19:03:59 -0000

I've just begun to collect mini-droids, so winning this would be a great way to start!

Re: Do you let your kids sip beer or wine

mkhall — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 10:26:57 -0000

As a child I would often "sneak" sips from my father's pilsner glass, which he would conveniently leave on the floor beside his chair during parties. I don't know that he was considering the potential effect it might have on my long term emotional development -- he was just concerned with getting me to go to sleep early so I'd quit pestering the adults.

The only long term effect it had on me was making me hate the taste of beer for the next 40-odd years. Today I can tolerate it, but would much rather have cider, thanks to the influence of some English friends. (Or rum, of course. Mmmmm, rum...)

Re: Critical Miami: Norman Brothers Produce

mkhall — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:24:07 -0000

I usually ignore any typos I run across here, but I snorted when I saw that Norman Brothers was now selling blood-sucking worms. Although it is possible you meant lychees.

I loved Norman Brothers. I didn't get down there nearly often enough.

Re: Critical Miami: Is Florida about to hand the presidency to Romney?

mkhall — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:50:07 -0000

Since I moved to a solidly blue state -- my town has been a Nuclear Free Zone since 1983 -- the amount I can do from a distance is limited. But I wouldn't be surprised to find myself doing some phone banking to call Floridian fence-sitters, provided we can get Virginia to vote rationally.

Re: Critical Miami: Is Florida about to hand the presidency to Romney?

mkhall — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:34:49 -0000

I don't want to read this kind of crap while it's still too early to drink. Please, Florida, haven't you screwed America enough?

Re: Critical Miami: Fox's Lounge

mkhall — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:26:33 -0000

DC has plenty of odd little bars, but so far I haven't found any place as utterly time-locked into the '60s as Fox's. I loved that place.

Re: Robin D. Laws: Back to the Edge

mkhall — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:18:02 -0000

This is terrific news! I've reserved my copy now, and a summer release should give me time to figure out how to pay for it. Hmm, maybe I can sell my Archon printing of Unknown Armies, or the uncut sheet of On the Edge cards...

Re: Robin D. Laws: Latest Update of the Yellow Sign

mkhall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:32:55 -0000

I'm looking forward to your insight into this process. I've been reading a bit about ebook cover design, and it seems as though a lot of people are flailing about trying to find something which will work. One site advised removing all copy from the cover, pointing out that title and author will be printed beside the postage stamp on Amazon. That idea horrifies me, but it may be viable.

Re: Robin D. Laws: DoubleGoogle+Good

mkhall — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:14:28 -0000

Having moved from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress when Blogger switched to BlogSpot only, I can vouch for the portability of their data at that time. It was extremely simple to export the previous ten years of posts for import into WP.

Your concern is valid, though. Not every company has Google's attitude to data transport, with some making it nearly impossible to retrieve the content you created.

Re: on honesty and metaphors.

mkhall — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:01:36 -0000

"As I get older, I've found myself making safer choices in spite of myself. Shared less. Hidden away more."

Speaking from my own experience, this is more than true, it's axiomatic. I've done my best to be open and true to myself, but in recent years it's become more difficult. Sometimes I wish I could cut free all my entanglements -- physical and emotional -- and live a transient life. It seems as though it would be better to live ten more years as myself, than twenty-five as someone else.

Re: Robin D. Laws: Sleigh Bell Sign-Off

mkhall — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:53:32 -0000

Happy holidays to you, sir!

Re: Robin D. Laws: Olympian/Cyclopean

mkhall — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:20:21 -0000

I was just happy to see The Residents are still finding work after all these years.

Re: Robin D. Laws: Crowdfunding and You

mkhall — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:19:05 -0000

I've backed over 30 Kickstarter and Kickstarter-esque projects, everything from coffee table art books to music videos to math dice to Stolze's stories. In general, perks which give a personal connection to the creator(s) catch my eye more than just a copy of the art/product itself. One band wrote a song for (and about) each high-level backer, while two artists drew backers into their graphic novels. Even thank you postcards are a nice touch, and become something to tuck into the book or CD case as a reminder that I helped make this art happen.

Re: Captain Smack, Red Pills, Rabbit Holes, and the Blogging Matrix

mkhall — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:45:15 -0000

I'm glad you finally made it down the rabbit hole. We've been waiting for you.

I've been railing about "blogging rules" for at least ten years now, since they seem to have started to appear within a year or so of my launching Hidden City. Fortunately, with the exception of a couple of moments of weakness, I've just done my own thing, and let my audience rise and fall as it will.

Re: The Engadget Interview: Jon Rubinstein and Steven McArthur talk webOS on PCs, 'Music Synergy,' competition, and more

mkhall — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:55:25 -0000

I really wonder how many commenters have either read the interview or have any experience working in a large company. He specifically said he has teams who look at and analyze everything on the market. He is just keeping his own palate clean by not using competing products.

"We have a UI team that looks at all these products, a competitive analysis team that looks at these products. I want a fresh look at everything we make, and I don't want it to be influenced by what anyone else is doing. So I don't use the other stuff. "

Very few top level people are even as directly involved as Jon is; most build their line based purely on market research. I take his reliance on specialist UI and analysis professionals as a very good thing.

Re: The FTC’s Blogging Rules Are Blatant Favoritism

mkhall — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:15:16 -0000

@TheDudeDean -- Perhaps Twitter could require that people participating in Tweet-for-pay programs or otherwise receiving freebies must check a box on their account indicating this, similar to the "Verified Account" flag. Then "Paid" could be appended to their account name, indicating "follower beware."

@dorizinn -- While ~we~ know that media dinners are free, not all your readers will. A case can be made for requiring some kind of legalese boilerplate on blogs, with relevant posts simply linking to the boilerplate via standardized text. That way it won't get in the way of the writing, but will still educate the public and satisfy the FTC.

Re: The FTC’s Blogging Rules Are Blatant Favoritism

mkhall — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:47:29 -0000

Personally, I think ALL advertising should carry a disclaimer: "This is marketing and/or promotional material, and should be assumed to be misleading. Do not base decisions on this material."

But that's just me.

Re: WHAT TO WEAR?? and tour dates.

mkhall — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:23:19 -0000

By all means wear number six. ("I am not a number! I am a free artist!") It would be a stunning look for you.

Re: Over the mountains of the moon... (Lady Gaga’s eyes want to eat my soul. Yours too,...)

mkhall — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:56:22 -0000

Her eyes are only part of the collective entity operating in the guise known to non-illuminated humans as "Lady Gaga." Her hair wants to eat you, too.