Ramblings
September 26, 2001
I think this might be my new favorite site: Saturday Night Live Multimedia. It's got RealVideo clips of tons of SNL skits; where else can you see Moleculo ("The molecular man!") on demand? 
September 25, 2001
BMX fun with the Internet Movie Database!
A friend sent me this one: check out the amount of work Pat Romano was able to get after doing wheelies in Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Personally, I'm quite surprised.
Also, Rick Moliterno was more than just a "BMX stunt rider" in Rad -- after all, he DID have a line.
A friend sent me this one: check out the amount of work Pat Romano was able to get after doing wheelies in Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Personally, I'm quite surprised.
Also, Rick Moliterno was more than just a "BMX stunt rider" in Rad -- after all, he DID have a line.
Labels: bmx
September 21, 2001
September 20, 2001
Okay, since I trashed a studio yesterday, I'll compliment one today: The Chopping Block. Besides having TMBG do their theme song, the Flash site is clever -- they play off the idea that they're an orange grove when they're not designing -- and absolutely stunning.
The main navigation is easy; the navigation in the Experimental Projects section isn't intuitive, but then again, it's experimental. But the best part of the site is the little touches: mousing over different parts causes flowers to bloom, wind chimes to ring, and smoke to come out of a tractor (among other things).
The main navigation is easy; the navigation in the Experimental Projects section isn't intuitive, but then again, it's experimental. But the best part of the site is the little touches: mousing over different parts causes flowers to bloom, wind chimes to ring, and smoke to come out of a tractor (among other things).
September 19, 2001
Another example of a horrible navigation system, this time from a (surprise!) design studio. Here's how it works: you mouse over a navigation item (such as "Work") -- you have to mouse over it, you can't click it -- and you get a row of black boxes. One you realize that these boxes are actuall links, you have to mouse over every box to find out what each one is ("Interactive", "Annual Reports", etc.).
But wait, it gets worse! After you choose, say, "Interactive", you're given a much longer line of black boxes. Now you have to mouse over each one of these in order to see the companies they've done work for.
I don't know what it is about Flash that makes intelligent people create stupid navigation. Sure, it's hip and creative. It's also hard to use quickly. There's a time and a place for creative, limit-pushing navigation and web site sites -- mostly web-art sites -- but to do that on your corporate site is just begging people to leave frustrated.
But wait, it gets worse! After you choose, say, "Interactive", you're given a much longer line of black boxes. Now you have to mouse over each one of these in order to see the companies they've done work for.
I don't know what it is about Flash that makes intelligent people create stupid navigation. Sure, it's hip and creative. It's also hard to use quickly. There's a time and a place for creative, limit-pushing navigation and web site sites -- mostly web-art sites -- but to do that on your corporate site is just begging people to leave frustrated.
September 18, 2001
Clear Channel's list of songs with questionable content. Personally, I don't think they should play Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" because it's a crappy cover, not because it's offensive.
September 17, 2001
We'll go forward from this moment (Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald)
"What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed."
"What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed."
September 16, 2001
I started work on a new site for and about New England flatlanders; hopefully it'll go live sometime this week..
September 14, 2001
"Some people cope by hearing and distributing information in a crisis. I'm one of those people, I guess." -- Jason Kottke
Jason's got a good collection of information, thoughts and links on his weblog, not to mention some amazing first-hand photos.
Jason's got a good collection of information, thoughts and links on his weblog, not to mention some amazing first-hand photos.
Times like this bring out the best in people. Unfortunately, it also brings out the worst. In addition the Mr. Falwell's idiotic remarks, this person's "solution" -- "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity" -- actually makes Falwell seem sane!
God Gave U.S. 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says (washingtonpost.com)
"Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most prominent voices of the religious right, said liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks because their actions have turned God's anger against America."
I absolutely can't believe that an apparently-intelligent person made these remarks. Beliefs like these are on the same level as the anti-American religious zealots who carried out the attacks. Besides that fact that it's just complete bullshit, this is not the kind of thing our country needs right now, and I'm shocked at the irresponsibility of their comments.
"Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most prominent voices of the religious right, said liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks because their actions have turned God's anger against America."
I absolutely can't believe that an apparently-intelligent person made these remarks. Beliefs like these are on the same level as the anti-American religious zealots who carried out the attacks. Besides that fact that it's just complete bullshit, this is not the kind of thing our country needs right now, and I'm shocked at the irresponsibility of their comments.
September 12, 2001
You can support relief efforts by making a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at Amazon.com.
September 10, 2001
"Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jacks-AUGH!!" He's just getting weirder looking (if that's possible) -- and is it just me, or does he look like some bizarre white ape wearing a wig in this photo?
September 6, 2001
Jennie's Way in Tewksbury (where I live) ... when it was nothing but trees. Pretty cool, but kinda creepy how much you can see with this tool.
September 4, 2001
Beastie Boys Close Grand Royal Record Label, and it looks like Mike D has aged 10 years in the process...
After a disasterous weekend, the Red Sox are pretty much out of the running this year. So now, Red Sox "fans" start the finger pointing to figure out who's to blame. The real problem was injuries; the Sunday Globe made an interesting point: if Nomar is out for the rest of the year (a possibility), then he, Pedro and Manny never played together all year.
And personally, I'm tired of the pessimistic, complaining, "woe is me" Sox fans. Just like it's too easy to be a Yankees fan ("Gee, they won the World Series again -- yippee."), it's also too easy to be a pessimistic Red Sox fan.
And personally, I'm tired of the pessimistic, complaining, "woe is me" Sox fans. Just like it's too easy to be a Yankees fan ("Gee, they won the World Series again -- yippee."), it's also too easy to be a pessimistic Red Sox fan.
September 2, 2001
Not a real update per se, but I got rid of the frames on this site. I originally had them in order to have the URL stay "kieranchapman.net" (rather than occasionally going to "ewirezine.com/kieran/..."), but hubris shouldn't win out over usability.
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