http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sat, 8 Oct 2005 14:48:52 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. 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Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/08/144852.php Frank GiovinazziJust got this book in the mail, and it is chock full of wild, wacky and warranty-cancelling things you can do to your car.First, let me tell you what Car PC Hacks by Damien Stolarz is not&#8212it is not a book about how to hack the controllers in your car's engine to make it go fast, burn different fuel mixtures, etc. Just like the title says, it is about car computers&#8212and this means everything from actual onboard computers, to audio and video confabulations.This is the second O'Reilly "Hack" book I've gotten. It's similar to a "Cookbook" for programmers, in that it is arranged by topic and project. In other words, it's not a long narrative about something, it's simply full of crazy projects. 75 of them, to be exact.Some of the tamer projects include installing headrest video screens, listening to email on the road (once you rig up your computer to receive free wi-fi, of course), install a back-up camera and screen, receive satellite TV, and rig a free GPS-based navi-system.There's also a podcast about this book, which you can listen to by clicking here.Of course, since all this stuff is power-heavy, there's also a bunch of hacks on how to strengthen your car's electrical system. To give you an idea, one of the hacks shows how to install a heavier-duty alternator.There are seven chapters in Car PC Hacks, each covering a different way to turn your car into a functioning computer with cupholders. They are as follows:Car Power BasicsAutomotive Audio EntertainmentAutomotive Video EntertainmentIn-Car ComputersCar PC Interface OptionsWireless Connectivity and in-Car InternetIn-Car ApplicationsOriginally published at Car Buyer's Notebook.com. Edited: PC Books37616@blogcritics.org Sat, 8 Oct 2005 14:48:52 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/26/074056.php Frank GiovinazziWant to know everything about the historic race -- or at least 40 years worth? This 5 DVD boxed set takes you down through the years. Warning: it runs longer than the race itself!The first ever boxed set of its kind, THE INDIANAPOLIS 500: THE LEGACY SERIES races into stores April 26th offering fans an in-depth look at the history of the Indianapolis 500 from 1960-1990.The five-disc DVD boxed set, priced to sell at $39.99, features seven hours of never-before-seen footage and fresh interviews with the legends of the Indy.Timed perfectly to coincide with the 89th Indianapolis 500 (May 8 - 29), this DVD boxed set is perfect for the ultimate racing enthusiast.The 60's: A Decade of Change The dawn of modern day Indy racing - featuring legendary A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, the Unsers, the invasion of Formula One drivers Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti.The 70's: A Decade of Legends: Faster cars and higher speeds. See how brave new teams with fearless young drivers and new technology overthrew the old school. Featuring a tribute to the late owner of The Brickyard®, Tony Hulman.The 80's: A Decade for the Ages Features some of the most heart-racing excitement in Indy history. Relive the glory of Team Penske's dominance, Sullivan's "Spin and Win" and Big Al's miraculous fourth win.The 90's: Over a Decade of Drama: Indy 500 glory at its best. The 90s marked the changing of the guard. Legends like Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford, and Unser hung up their helmets and opened the door for current generation of racing heroes.BONUS DISC The bonus disc includes one hour of features on the Indy 500. The disc includes the documentary, "Voices of the 500" - a history of the IMS Radio Network. Features Indy legacies like Tom Carnegie, Firestone, and the Borg-Warner Trophy. In addition, the disc includes an image gallery of past Indy 500 memories. Cast: A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Tony Hulman, Al Unser, Mario Andretti Video28652@blogcritics.org Tue, 26 Apr 2005 07:40:56 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/18/161146.php Frank Giovinazzi[Part Two -- see Part One here.]Tonight's episode [April 18, 9 pm], takes us into FDR's second two terms as president, which is essentially the story of one leader's valiant attempt to prepare and guide a nation through war.It's no spoiler to reveal that FDR died as the beginning of his fourth term. Nor is it a stretch to say he was an undeclared casualty of the great conflict.From secret negotiations with Churchill, from which FDR devised the historic Lend-Lease agreements on his own, to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, it's hard to imagine the relentless succession of disasters and monumentous decisions not breaking a lesser person.And remember, FDR was physically incapacitated by polio, and often in constant physical pain. During this time we also see him endure the death of his mother and the debilitation and eventual death of his loyal secretary, Missy LeHand. Further, we learn his wife Eleanor essentially rebuffed his advances to reestablish their marriage on more initmate grounds, more than twenty years after his infidelity.Again, we see the near-incomprehensible contradictions that mark his career. On one hand he orders the internment of Japanese civilians, while on the other he squeezes Churchill to sign the Atlantic Charter, guaranteeing the end of colonialism after the war.We see FDR respond to the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, that kills 2,407 Americans on December 7, 1941, and deliver his famous, "date which will live in infamy" line.The best quote in his address to Congress: "The American people in their righteous might will win through to righteous victory."Yet before the attack even came, FDR, his Cabinet and Generals were preparing what they knew to be inevitable, despite the president having had to promise the country would stay out of the conflict. Knowing the country would be drawn into war, FDR also had to contend with the horrifying knowledge that the country's military did not have the capacity to even defend the homeland, never mind venture forth to do battle in Europe and Aisa.Once the country was in the war, FDR had to continually play the middle between PRime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. At times he confounded Churchill, including when he unilaterally declared the goal of the war was Germany's "Uncondtional Surrender."This flabbergasted Churnchill, as did FDR's blatant currying of Stalin's favor at the Tehran Conference. Depsite his friendship with Churchill, FDR is credited as understanding that Soviet dedication to an eastern front and a promise to enter the war against Japan after Germany was defeated.As the war winds down, so does FDR's life, and it is excrutiating to watch. Though not to be missed. His courage during the 1944 campaign, when he was compelled to counter charges he was an invalid, is quite simply an display equal to any on the battlefield.The footage of FDR traveling to and participating in the Yalta Conference is shocking. FDR is clearly a dead man walking, and there are several moments where he does not appear lucid. The narration admits that FDR's debility is often blamed for the concessions that made for a post-WW II Communist Europe.FDR died while spending time in Warm Springs, Georgia. I've left out a crucial part of the tale, as I hope you take the time to watch this fantastic documentary about an epic life.Previous: a review of Part One of FDR: A Presidency Revealed.The DVD set, packaged with a special Life magazine bio issue on Roosevelt, can only be preordered through the History Channel. Availability is May 20, 2005. Video28311@blogcritics.org Mon, 18 Apr 2005 16:11:46 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/17/130541.php Frank GiovinazziThis four-hour documentary on FDR proves the notion that the further away you move away from events, the more nuanced assessments can be made.Airing in two parts on the History Channel, FDR: A Presidency Revealed, brings to light aspects of Roosevelt's character and events in his life that molded him into the president that guided America out of the Depression and through World War II.Tonight's episode [April 17, 9 pm], takes us into FDR's first two terms as president, and also backtracks in his life to 1921 when he contracted polio and became crippled for life.Most people are aware FDR had polio, and that it left him incapacitated -- but not to what degree. This program points out that he never walked again -- and also chronicles his enduring phyiscal pain as well as his atempts to mask his infirmity from the nation. An interesting footnote is that only two photos exists of him in a wheelchair during his presidency and they were taken by a family friend; the press ignored the president's medical condition throughout his public life.His now famous first "100 days" are detailed, and we are reminded that his first two acts -- overseeing the end of prohibition and closing the banks, provided a tonic both literal and emotional that reawakened America's ability to believe. Most remarkable, perhaps is what we learn by inference -- that by sheer force of will and willful dismissal of the facts, FDR fronted a profound optimism that by itself could be regarded as a public policy.As in all good documentaries, A Presidency Revealed covers FDR's failings and forgotten accomplishments. In the latter category, we learn of an affair with his secretary that nearly destroyed his marriage, his failed attempt to restructure the Supreme Court and his lack of political courage in letting a federal anti-lynching bill die on the vine.FDR's most forgotten accomplshment? That he purchased the Warm Springs resort in Georgia where he traveled to recuperate and exercise among other "polios" as the narrative refers to them. He did so with money from his trust fund, a move that threatened his own financial independence. FDR is credited with creating a positive atmosphere of hope and self-reliance at the resort, which still exists and bears the name, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation.There's also the story of Arthur Kent, an American embassy employee working in England who had secretly intercepted thousands of pages of correspondence between FDR and Churchill. Kent was planning to turn the documents over to isolationist forces in the US Senate, but was arrested on Churchill's orders the day before he was scheduled to leave the country. The documentary posits that had Kent succeeded, it would have destroyed FDR's quest for a third term as Hitler began waging war in Europe.Tomorrow: a review of Part Two of FDR: A Presidency Revealed.The DVD set, packaged with a special Life magazine bio issue on Roosevelt, can only be preordered through the History Channel. Availability is May 20, 2005. Video28254@blogcritics.org Sun, 17 Apr 2005 13:05:41 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/17/024005.php Frank GiovinazziDear Reader: This post consists of three stories I originially wrote for my publication, Car Buyer's Notebook. It's a rundown of the XM MyFi portable satellite radio, which functions as a walkman, home stereo receiver and car unit, all-in-one. It's a great buy at $269 [at Amazon, $299 elsewhere], if you're in the market for satellite.This is My XM MyFiThe knock at the door was the FedEx lady bearing gifts -- this portable XM satellite radio unit, aka the MyFi.And I say gifts, because the MyFi is much more than a handheld, belt-clippable satellite receiver that lets you listen to over 150 channels of XM's digital music, news and sports through a pair of headphones.The unit ships complete with everything you need to use it in its three modes -- as a portable, a home unit or an in-vehicle radio.As I'm writing this I've got the MyFi in its home cradle, wired through my computer speakers and controlled by remote.Later on, I'm going to "install" it in the Ford 500 I'm test driving. I put that in quotes because the MyFi has a truly cool feature that lets you listen to XM through your car's existing stereo -- yet without using any permanent hardware.Known as the Wireless FM option, the Myfi has a built in transmitter that sends the signal to any FM radio. By tuning the radio to an unused frequency, then setting the MyFi to communicate with that wavelength, you'll hear XM through your car stereo!But, for those of you who decide to take the plunge and go XM, you can purchase an adapter that can be installed at a stereo shop. Alternately, the MyFi kit also comes with an adapter for cars with casette decks.I'm going to fiddle around with the MyFi and will post an in-depth review. For now, though, I can report the sound on the unit, when used as a portable, is simply great.And more than loud enough -- this morning, the road crew was using a jackhammer to bust up the parking lot right outside my window. In cases like this, using the speakers just wasn't good enough.I was also surprised at the clarity -- certainly better than any Walkman I've ever listened to.The MyFi now sports a much tastier price -- list is $299 for the entire kit, down $50 from when it first appeared.And don't forget about the "My XM" feature, that allows you to record up to five hours of programming. This is perfect for frequent flying business travelers, sports junkies who want to record specfic events or NPR-refugees who want to capture every minute of the XM-exclusive Bob Edwards show.Installing the XM MyFi Satellite Radio Receiver in the Ford Five HundredIn yesterday's post, I got all happy-happy about my new MyFi portable XM radio. Having listened to bits of a couple dozen channels, I can say the happiness keeps on coming.Last night, using a couple accessories from the MyFi kit, I installed the radio to play over the stereo of my Ford Five Hundred. It was easy -- so easy, in fact, that I completed the installation in about five minutes -- despite having brought the Spanish language instructions with me!And no, "No leo a españoles!"Not only was the experience of having XM radio in the car a quantum leap in enjoyable entertainment, I'm emphasizing the ease of installation for anyone who may have been avoiding adding satellite to their existing vehicle over fear of hassle, expense or damaging their car.For $299, the MyFi unit delivers a triple boon -- new car stereo, home reception, and obviously, the portable solution.To install the MyFi in the Ford Five Hundred -- temporarily, as it's not my car -- I used six items from the unit's kit. I chose the vent mount to put it in the car, as it's a temporary fixture, as opposed to the other two included pieces of hardware, that are permanent. [Scroll down for the equipment and how-to lists.]There are also three different way to get the radio to work with your car's existing stereo, two of which are temporary. The third method requires the purchase and installation of an additional $50 adapter.For the Five Hundred, I chose the easiest method, using the MyFi's internal wireless FM transmitter. By setting your car's FM dial and the MyFi to the same station, the MyFi's satellite channels are "magically" heard over your stereo -- no wires, no hacks -- nothing but digital.I was surprised at how well the wireless option worked. After awhile, the audio experience was so tranparent, the only evidence I had of the new stereo was by looking at it mounted on the dash. At one point I did have to switch to another FM frequency when the sound fizzled a bit, something the instruction manual warns you about. And something I read about after retrieving the English language manual.The great thing about the MyFi in the car is that you can take it with you, for personal use as well as security reasons. I left it in the car when stopping at a convenience store, and looking at it through the window I thought that it presented a too-juicy incentive for someone to bash the glass and take it with them.And I like the way it looks, exclusive, in an aftermarket kind of way.Now, about the experience. All I can say to anyone is don't try it if you're not ready to buy it. Satellite radio in the car is as different from radio as driving is to walking. You will never go back.I loved the remote control, switching back and forth to different stations, and being able to enjoy XM's decade-oriented music stations, my classical favorites, or the mutliple live news feeds from cable TV.Satellite radio offers the user access to an entire universe of audio programming -- I contend that even the most ardent self-programming iPod maven can't match what's available on satellite 24/7. Even after six months of listening, I can't get over what a revolution this represents.Self-Installing the XM MyFi, Equipment List 1. The MyFi receiver. 2. Vehicle power adapter. 3. Vehicle antenna. 4. Vehicle cradle. 5. Vent mount. 6. Remote control.Self Installing the XM MyFi, Step-by-Step 1. Connect the antenna, power adapter and vent mount to the back of the cradle. 2. Plug the MyFi receiver into the cradle. 3. Snap the vent mount clips into the louvers. 4. Plug in the adapter. 5. With the MyFi unit off, tune the FM radio into one of twelve unused frequencies. 6. Turn the MyFi on. 7. Using the MyFi menu button, select "FM Frequency." 8. Use the thumbwheel to select the FM frequency you set the FM radio on. 9. Listen! XM MyFi Final Thoughts I've had the XM MyFi for a week now, using it as a walkman, home stereo and car accessory, and this is [probably] the last of three articles about this amazing $299 gadget.As a piece of technology unto itself, the MyFi is not as prosaic as it looks. Weighing 6.9 ounces and with an easy to hold profile, the radio was the first portable satellite receiver and it one of those rare products that got it right in the first iteration.Given its triple-use nature, I think it should be a first stop for anyone thinking about becoming an XM satellite radio subscriber. By functioning as a personal-home-car unit, it alleviates the need to purchase a second radio, as well as incurring the additional $6.99 a month XM charges to add additional receivers to the basic $12.99 a month subscription price.As for using it as a personal walkman, I clipped the MyFi onto my sweatpants Sunday, listening during a three-hour bike ride to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C.Except for a few spots on the bike trail, reception was crystal clear, as I rode and strolled through the day. While this may not sound like a big deal, using it as a walkman means relying on the built-in antenna -- that receives the signal from the space-bound XM satellites. The MyFi kit includes a so-called "wearable antenna" that you can clip on an article of clothing or the shoulder strap of a backpack or purse, but I didn't fool with it and got along just fine.During my ride, and actually most of the time, I wind up listening to channel 110, the classics station. I've also enjoyed listening to the two comedy stations, the eighties channel and two R&B stations, "Soul Street," and "The Groove."However, I do have two complaints about the programming, one major, one minor.The major complaint is that XM plays way too many overproduced, blaring promo spots that sound like the regular radio stations I've gladly left behind. Please note I don't mind if an announcer tells me they've got baseball on 175, or even that I should tell my friends about how much I love XM. Every business needs to promote itself.However, the XM programmers seem to be comepting internally to see who can create the most obnoxioius promos. I don't want to hear the same kind of "wild" and "wacky" self-boosting that I can get on any Clear Channel or Infinity station. It's intrusive, abusive and in my view, a violation of the compact XM has made with their audience, where they've promised a listening experience that's superior to traditional radio. I'm hoping that XM's programmers will get over themselves and tone down the volume.The minor complaint was that one night, when I tuned into my classics station, I was greeted by the hideous noise of a Ravi Shankar Sitar Concerto. That's right -- sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?It was as painful as getting accupuncture -- in the eye. With all that bandwidth, if the XMmies want to expand someone's consciousness, they can play Mr. Shankar's masterpiece on the One World channel or some other obscure corner of the dial. The sitar is not a classical instrument and Mr. Shankar's music will not be played 300 years from now, OK? Sci/Tech28243@blogcritics.org Sun, 17 Apr 2005 02:40:05 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/15/132006.php Frank GiovinazziInstructions for two humorous searches :1. Go to Google search page.2. Type in "weapons of mass destruction."3. Hit "I'm feeling lucky."4. Read carefully!5. Type in "French Military Victories."6. Hit "I'm feeling lucky."7. When you get the message, click on the alternate choice.8. Read carefully!9. Bonus -- go to Amazon.com and type in "French military victories."10. Have a nice day! Culture6963@blogcritics.org Tue, 15 Jul 2003 13:20:06 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/04/093753.php Frank GiovinazziJohn Kelso, the Austin American-Statesman's barely, rarely funny curmudgeonly columnist, actually has a decent post today.Kelso writes about Fox News' attempt to silence the first amendment rights of a little t-shirt company operating out of a garage in Austin, Texas.They've got a couple of mildly jabby versions of their incendiary wear, including one with the legend: "Faux News -- we distort you comply."But the real nasty one -- that almost sinks to the level of the FN's blow-dryed, photoshop'ed Joe McCarthy is this one that reads: Fair and Balanced -- O'Reilly YouthThe t- also has a picture of a comely Aryan carrying a furling Fox banner!Kelso writes that the fashion enterprise wasn't doing all that well until a Murdoch Weasel [read: lawyer] wrote them a letter demanding that they stop making fun of us! Stop it! You meanies![By the way, one of my favorites is the CNN spoof.]Then Kelso kicks the channel in their sweatsock enhanced codpiece:"Perhaps for the first time in recorded history, Fox News isn't running its mouth. 'We don't comment on pending legal matters,' said Robert Zimmerman, a Fox spokesman.So they got plenty of guts when it comes to bombing Iraq. But when they catch a little flak out of South Austin, they ain't so gutsy after all." Culture6726@blogcritics.org Fri, 4 Jul 2003 09:37:53 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/04/063754.php Frank GiovinazziWhen it comes to practical household stuff, whether it's trimming trees or repairing a nice wrought iron bench and painting it rather than buy a new one, I am right most of the time.Julie's learned to acquiesce on most of these matters, often as early as the third or fourth discussion!However, when it came to the choice of whether to buy a gas or charcoal grill, she was steadfast. No matter how many times I insisted we get the bottled flame, she kept saying, "Great, enjoy it. I'm buying a charcoal grill."I was adamant about the quick-start, relatively clean nature of the instant-on death machine. She kept saying, "there's nothing like the taste of a real charcoal grill."So the other night we went to Home Depot. I had a revelation. I didn't like the gas grills -- if you spend anything less than $399.95, what you get is a disposable, cheap looking contraption. And the expensive ones were too tricked-out looking. I was waiting for the blue neon undercarriage lights to come on.Julie walked over to the $39.95 Aussie Grill. A simple box with a red lid, two wheels and foldable. Even before I looked inside and saw the perforated charcoal tray, I fell in love. The simplicity! The elegance! The chance to use matches!Then she delivered the coup de grace."We have to get the charcoal starter," she said."What's that?"She showed me -- a 19th century-looking, brushed black mini-chimney with a handle -- you put newspaper in the bottom, charcoal above it and then light it -- the tight space and air holes gets the charcoal ready to cook in about 10-12 minutes.My god -- a retro-gadget! Now I have a suburban brontosaurus roasting pit, not just a grill.And the food tastes better, too.This is my public mea culpa to my wife, who was right [I told her so in the store at least seven times], and to whom I'm glad she stuck to her wood burning matches on this one.Declare your artistic independence today by buying The Stoic Artist -- a field manual for creating the productive artistic life! Culture6725@blogcritics.org Fri, 4 Jul 2003 06:37:54 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/04/061910.php Frank GiovinazziHere's Frank's [experimental] July 4th Salsa Recipe [curing in the fridge]:6 medium plum tomatoes, diced. 1 small yellow onion, diced. 1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro, from the herb garden. 1 tbsp. finely chopped basil, ditto. 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, ditto. 1 tbsp. crushed garlic, in water. 8 shakes cumin. 6 shakes crushed red pepper. [Sorry, forgot to buy jalapenos.]Tip: If you're growing herbs and need to harvest, place clippings in glass jar w/lid. Add water and refrigerate -- will keep at least a week or two. Declare your artistic independence today by buying The Stoic Artist -- a field manual for creating the productive artistic life! Culture6724@blogcritics.org Fri, 4 Jul 2003 06:19:10 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/02/162945.php Frank GiovinazziToday there are nearly 750 listings for apartments on Craigs List, and 300 rooommate wanted situations.My brother, a highly qualified computer guy, just applied for a job -- along with 2,000 other applicants. [He didn't get the job, but he got narrowed to the Final Four.]I've been wanting to move to Paradise for some time, but still don't understand when the landlords are going to budge from the sky high prices.Office vacancy is at an all-time high. And, I just checked with U-Haul -- it's cheaper to rent a truck from Virginia to San Fran [3,300 mile allowance], than it is from Virignia to Austin [1,700 mile allowance].Maybe that's because all the U-Hauls are headed away from the Bay and they need the equipment!By the way, rental prices in Austin, another great city struggling with a boom hangover, have dropped more than the prices in SF.My brother thinks the landlords won't budge for several reasons:1. Californians, esp. SFers, are reality-resistant.2. Too many people bought at the top of the market and have big mortgages -- but can't get anyone to pay dot-com era prices. Glug, glug, they're underwater.3. Rent control -- lowering prices would lock them in at a lower rate, and since they're still hoping for a turnaround [see reason #1], they are still sticking it out.My brother told me today he got a rent reduction from his landlord, who took the hit because some rent is better than no rent.He also told me, since he's unemployed, he will call a couple "For Rent" numbers every day and offer them half what they're asking, for cruelty's sake.I don't think San Francisco has seen the bottom of this one yet, and it'll be interesting to see when people start accepting it. Culture6688@blogcritics.org Wed, 2 Jul 2003 16:29:45 EDT