Category: Media

Society by Joe WilcoxSep 29, 20054:19 pm

No Direction Forward

I recorded the PBS special on Bob Dylan, “No Direction Home” and finished the first part last night. The film left me with a sense of loss about the state of American culture.

Dylan started making music at a time of counterculture poetry and song, the Greenwich Village crowd, that still had some lifeblood even through the early 1980s. My question: Where is the interest in arts for arts sake today? I recognize this isn’t exactly a new problem. The term counterculture is explanation enough for a longstanding problem.

Apple by Joe WilcoxSep 27, 20053:53 pm

Greed Killed the Trojan Horse

Seems like Apple and music labels are on collision course as iTunes contract renewals approach. Steve Jobs called record labels “greedy“, over alleged plans to move digital downloads to a tiered pricing model. Right now, iTunes buyers pay a 99-cent flat rate for singles, while most albums sell for $9.99. Apple does bundle some singles with music videos for $1.99.

So, I had thought Steve Jobs was being just a wee bit over the top, until a few days later when Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. said during an investors conference: “We are selling our songs through iPod, but we don’t have a share of iPod’s revenue. We want to share in those revenue streams” [source Red Herring]. Ah, yeah.

Pulp Media by Joe WilcoxSep 26, 20057:58 pm

Frak That

The second season of “Battlestar Galactica” closed with a major letdown on Friday. I suppose it’s really the end of the first season, cut in two. Series typically air about 24 shows per season, which is almost Battlestar Galactica’s count after two, uh, seasons.

The miniseries launching the series is a marvel. The show captures a quality, a flow of good storytelling that transcended anything else on television. The first season (OK, half season) delivers excellent entertainment and, again, some smart storytelling. Acting, direction, sets, special effects, the drama all are exceptional.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 25, 20052:43 pm

Backyard Bunny

As mentioned yesterday, I returned to using a PowerBook, the same one let go just a few months ago. One reason the temporary switch was so dumb: Somehow when backing up the contents some error occurred that I missed. The “2005” folder containing all pictures taken this year didn’t copy. So, when wiping the PowerBook’s hard drive, I inadvertently deleted thousands of irreplaceable photos, the majority taken with a Nikon D70. Bummed is too weak a word to describe my reaction.

Society by Joe WilcoxSep 22, 20058:00 pm

Island of Islands

I spent the day in Manhattan, where I had meetings at my employer’s office. After work I walked down 33rd Street from Park Ave. South to Seventh Ave., where is Pennsylvania Station. The first day […]

Apple by Joe WilcoxSep 19, 20058:58 pm

Where are iTunes Free Music Videos?

Apple’s music store offers many ways to discover new music. I also have been using Yahoo! Music, which offers great value—how’s five bucks a month for unlimited downloads—but doesn’t offer as many ways to find […]

Apple by Joe WilcoxSep 15, 20057:07 pm

Good Thing in a Small Package

I am back from Los Angeles, where I attended Microsoft’s developers conference. Waiting for me: A shiny new iPod nano. Much thanks to Apple for sending this huge surprise. I nearly bought one last Friday […]

Society by Joe WilcoxSep 11, 20058:00 pm

Jobs Does the Job

Today, I took some time to watch Steve Jobs’ iPod nano Webcast. I’ve got to tell you that he gives a better performance than most magicians. And the slight of hands are amazingly subtle. For example, he used iChat to video conference with Madonna in London.

Society by Joe WilcoxSep 5, 20055:41 pm

The Green is Now About the Money

In a Saturday New York Times review, Jon Pareles writes about the parody Green Day has become. I totally agree with the headline, “Now a Band That It Once Parodied.” Green Day has gone mainstream, along with punk culture.

When I was a teenager, disco choked culture and music to near the point of death. Then along came New Wave and Punk—real Punk—bands pushing a harder sound and lifestyle. Spiked, died hair, black leather, tattoos, and piercings were as much statements as attire, as teens sought to throw of the yolk of their older, self-obsessive Baby Boomer siblings.

News Media by Joe WilcoxAug 28, 20054:20 pm

The Times’ Sweeping Generalization

Okay, I think the Times Online is going a wee bit too far. The UK news operation kicks off a story about the MTV Video Music Awards with the very leading, “Green Day, the anti-war punk […]

Music by Joe WilcoxAug 28, 20054:13 pm

My MTV Music Awards Videos

By chance, I visited the MTV site this afternoon, where there is a preview of all the nominees for this year’s Video Music Awards, which airs later tonight. Great promotion and bigger than postage-stamp-size videos, too. I just couldn’t resist watching and handicapping some vids.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 28, 20052:48 pm

Backyard Butterfly

I shot these pics with a Canon EOS 20D with Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. By no means exceptional photography, but I’m backyard amateur beating off mosquitoes. Lousy excuse, I know.