December 2000
Mike Lecky: an aov interview
Posted by on Saturday, December 30, 2000 - 1 comment
The first of many eventual permanent features on aov, we present to you: Mike Lecky: an aov interview. • One thing has become apparent to us since the inception of aov: there are legions of talented artists out there. Though we should have known better we were prone to fits of despair and the …
our lady peace: the age of spiritual rock stars
Posted by on Saturday, December 30, 2000 in - 1 comment
My opinions on Our Lady Peace vary wildly. On one hand, songs like Julia and Naveed from their first album, Naveed are truly great songs. They have impressed me in concert when I expected to be bored on several occasions: Letting six thousand people sing 4AM from start to finish; Hearing them …
for all you sensitive types.
Posted by on Friday, December 29, 2000 in
Check out Clem Snide. Actually a trio named after a William S. Burroughs character, they play laid back country/folk/mellow/whatever (I have no gift for identifying musical genres). All their songs are very simple, beautifully played, introspective pieces. • I suggest you listen to "Your …
was it all you wanted? are you satisfied? happy even?
Posted by on Friday, December 29, 2000
How are you doing these days? I realize I don't ask you how are are very often. This stems from a general lack of interest in your state of existence, but right now, at this moment, I am genuinely interested. • How was your Christmas? Really. Be honest. Did it live up to the two months of hype …
snide remarks in your inbox on an irregular schedule
Posted by on Friday, December 29, 2000 in
Sign up for the new aov update email newsletter. We'll flog you with occasional updates on subjects such as: • major site updates • new aov features (such as the upcoming interview with Mike Lecky) • particularly encouraging/discouraging news & commentary • The frequency of mailings will …
yeah, what he said.
Posted by on Friday, December 29, 2000
Crusaders for simplicity (is than an oxymoron? I don't think so). Jason Fried from 37signals talks up simplicity and I couldn't agree more: • “ • 60 Seconds with Jason Fried of 37signals.com • ”
re: FutureShop: the straw that broke the camels back
Posted by on Thursday, December 28, 2000
re: FutureShop: the straw that broke the camels back • On my theory of why capitalism doesn't work: • “ • User-Unfriendly at LAtimes.com • ” • (via Signal vs. Noise)
FutureShop: the straw that broke the camels back
Posted by on Wednesday, December 27, 2000 - 88 comments
I was silly enough to go to the FutureShop today and I got a creepy feeling as though I was in Rome at the peak of Roman excess and gluttony. I was overcome by 5 foot tall TVs (the picture quality of a TV signal will only stretch so far) and stereos that look like totally x-treme moon landers …
I rock hard (A Christmas Greeting).
Posted by on Monday, December 25, 2000
My appendix was infected. Did I get it fixed? No. Getting sh*t fixed is weak. My appendix let me down, so I tore it the f*ck out. I rock hard. • I was on an operating table shaped like a cross - with my arms out (cause they was full of tubes and wires and sh*t) like I was being crucified. So, if …
merry christmas, charlie brown.
Posted by on Saturday, December 23, 2000
Right now, Matt is sitting in the architecturally bewildering Queen Elizabeth Hospital, sans-appendix. With 2/3 of the aov geniuses now in the hospital (don't panic, everyone is ok), I fell like there is some kind of karmic crosshair on my forehead. Perhaps, due to our cunning wit, God sees us as …
I have food poisoning or some evil stomach flu, so I'm allowed to be mean and bitter.
Posted by on Thursday, December 21, 2000 - 1 comment
One of Today's featured excite links: • Super-Cute Kitten Photos • If that isn't confirmation that the average person has all the intelligence of a potted plant, I really don't know what would be. Super-Cute Kitten Photos? Who the hell are these people who spend their time looking at pictures …
coming soon to aov
Posted by on Thursday, December 21, 2000 in
A few features we geniuses are working on here in the aov laboratories: • a fine interview with young Mike Lecky of superfunk/aioku/boxlor fame. • full keyword searching of the aov archives. • sliced bread. • Merry shopping.
exploding dog is insanely great!
Posted by on Wednesday, December 20, 2000 in - 6 comments
explodingdog.com is the greatest thing to ever happen. • The illustrations are hilarious and telling. Highlights include the hilarious and frightening “none of them knew they were robots”, the intriguing “theres nothing wrong with me, i have a fish”, and the heart wrenching “i just want a hug”.
kirby lives!
Posted by on Tuesday, December 19, 2000
Formerly of IslandEdition.com, currently pursuing fortunes in the big city, Kirby Ferguson lives and he's setup a radio station at Live365. • If you can stand being swamped with ads (I recommend hiding the window behind other windows), you can listen to Kirby's fine music picks including …
would you like fog with that?
Posted by on Saturday, December 16, 2000
The quote of the week comes from Signal vs. Noise. Commenting on the alleged impending downfall of eToys and the subsequent collapse of online retailing, they wonder: • “ • Ah if only they had spent all of their money on a weather control device instead of advertising... • ”
Re: no big loss. I never did like Shake 'n Bake much.
Posted by on Thursday, December 14, 2000
Re: no big loss. I never did like Shake 'n Bake much. • Fudge replies: • “ • Miracle Whip, Shake n' Bake, Jell-O, Maxwell House, Kraft Dinner, Kool-Aid, • Raisin Brand, Miller Beer...Why are people buying tobacco from a food • company? • All are really popular products, most are …
sixpence none the richer is good. no seriously, hear me out.
Posted by on Thursday, December 14, 2000 in - 21 comments
Ok, so you're pretty cool, you like Kid A, and you don't like VH1 or top 40 radio. • Chances are, if you are reading this site, you fit this profile, at least roughly. And, if you fit this profile, chances are you hate the song Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer. That's fair, I respect that (I …
IDEO: people who get paid to play
Posted by on Thursday, December 14, 2000 - 1 comment
IDEO is the über-cool corporation, complete with corporate identity hand made by the logo master Paul Rand (you might know some of his logos: IBM, ABC, Westinghouse), that designed such ass-kicking consumer electronic as the Palm V and the Handspring Visor. • They have a bunch of smart asses …
no big loss. I never did like Shake 'n Bake much.
Posted by on Thursday, December 14, 2000
I was somewhat surprised to learn that all the brands pictured below are owned by Philip Morris. To read about Adbusters Harper's Campaign go here. And stop eating Kraft Dinner, it tastes god-awful anyway.
you'll have to imagine the accompanying hand gestures.
Posted by on Thursday, December 14, 2000
Go see The Legend of Drunken Master starring Jackie Chan. In this re-release of the '94 Drunken Master, Jackie Chan plays a master of the Drunken Boxing style of combat who needs to actually be drunk to reach the peak of his abilities. • There's this one scene where a dude with an axe comes at …
Adbusters Jan|Feb 2001 Issue #33
Posted by on Tuesday, December 12, 2000
The latest issue of Adbusters magazine is, I think, the best they've published to date. • If you have a copy, I recommend spending some time reading Kono Matsu's scrapbook of the EarthWorks media campaign (Kono is the creative director or Powershift, the marketing wing of adbuster's parent …
"Hey, I'm quite talented, why not do something legal with MP3"*
Posted by on Monday, December 11, 2000
While perusing an extensive list of MP3s I stumbled across an album that I recorded with my old band Horton's Choice. We wasted all of our attention spans and money recording the CD and didn't have anything left over to actually duplicate any. • Bottom line is, there are about seven copies of …
I need these forearms!
Posted by on Monday, December 11, 2000
Oh, dear. What does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome feel like? • [UPDATE - added 25 minutes later] • It turns out I only ache when I'm doing boring or unpleasant work.
music that is good
Posted by on Saturday, December 9, 2000 in
In addition to having some fine websites, I have recently discovered that Prince Edward Island is also home to some fine tunes courtesy of windom earle. • On an unrelated note, I have stumbled across a full length, high quality streaming Catherine Wheel concert.
what a government website should be*
Posted by on Saturday, December 9, 2000
Imagine a website where you could: • find out the current ski conditions • find any business in your province • see all properties up for sale on a map • contact anyone in your government • download the provincial budget (and the previous three years of budgets) • find anything and …
three counts of sleep deprived driving
Posted by on Friday, December 8, 2000 - 8 comments
Thanks to some pervasive media campaigns (most significantly that of Mothers Against Drunk Driving) our generation has done a pretty good job of stigmatizing drunk driving. You'll still encounter a few nuts and jackasses that insist they're “<drunkspeak>ok to drive</drunkspeak>” but in general …
more top level domain nonsense.
Posted by on Thursday, December 7, 2000
Taglines from what is possibly one of the worst marketing campaings I have ever witnessed: • “ • Because .com is for old people. • The global MUsic Domain has launched! Declare your independence now! • The screamin' streamin' Domain for people who love music, movies, hot cars, sports and …
“Oh, I know, let’s get mugs!”
Posted by on Wednesday, December 6, 2000
What is it about non-profit and bureaucratic organizations that possesses them to get mugs, pens, pads, and t-shirts branded with their logo. Admittedly, I have an inordinately large collection of mugs. In my defense, however, I didn't pay for any of them. They just appear. • The Four …
How should I know, I just work here.
Posted by on Wednesday, December 6, 2000
Amazing! A former writer for Letterman marched into a dot-com company's offices, claimed a desk and started ‘working’. He was there for three weeks before he got busted. Then he wrote about his stunt for The New Yorker. • That is art. TheStandard.com tells the rest of the story.
brief rant inspired by insipid and ever-present radio crap.
Posted by on Monday, December 4, 2000
Oh, Alanis Morisette, you are so very wise! You're high but you're grounded, you're sad but your laughing. Oh, you are so wise (but at the same time green)! You're this, but then you aren't! What a paradox you are Alanis! What a contradiction you are. You are the thesis and the antithesis. You are …
Jezebel's Mirror
Posted by on Sunday, December 3, 2000
Jezebel's Mirror is a collection of photographs people have taken of themselves projected on various reflective surfi. • This site made me wonder why I don't have a digital camera. Not sure. I'll get back to you on that one. • Spend a few minutes perusing. It's surprisingly interesting. Also …
new top-level domains added. guess what? they suck.
Posted by on Friday, December 1, 2000
Too lazy to write an actual post on this myself, I will quote relevant pieces of a story which appeared in Suck: • “ • Through a process that was both years too long and miles too stupid, the ICANN board approved - drum roll, please - .biz, .name, .pro, .museum, .info, .aero and .coop. Yes …