Joe Torre is gone.

Some of the less educated front runner fans will look at Torre and point the blame for the Yankees’ failures in recent years. But what they don’t remember is that in 12 years Joe brought us to the post season 12 times. Before Joe the Yankees hadn’t won the series since 1978 and even been there since 1982. The problem is in perception. Joe’s the best manager in the biz, I firmly believe this.

Joe Torre is not the problem with the Yankees. The Yankees are the problem with the Yankees.

I’m bitter right now about this but I feel in my gut this is the wrong move, though I’m glad it was ultimately Joe’s decision. My co-worker Frank said to me the other day that though he hates the Yankees, he loves Joe Torre. Joe really is the best and he’s an all around class act, Frank said it well: He deserves to work for an organization that really appreciates him.

I’m a Yankee fan for life, but today is a sad day and one where I really am at odds with the team I love so much.

Good luck Joe. Go win another ring.

…figure out what’s important to you.”

Those words are from the chorus of a track entitled ‘Stop’ from Floridian rock group Against Me!’s latest release ‘New Wave.’ The album and this line are significant because it’s not just the group’s newest, it’s their first on a “major label.” A big step for a band who is known for being outspoken against the government, big corporations and the music industry. Although ‘New Wave’ has received praise from industry critics, the major label signing has caused Against Me! to be the target of an intense amount of scrutiny from the scene it arouse from and it’s one time “fans.”

Akiva Gottlieb of the Nation, in an excellently composed and structured piece, delves into the band’s recent struggles. However, the writer’s opinion of the group and it’s front-man, Tom Gabel, show through quite clearly. With lines like “If you can’t stop a war, you might as well make money, right?” peppered throughout, it steers far from objectivity. Even flirting with becoming an attack piece itself near the end, as if the writer herself were personally offended by the band’s actions. Although she took the time to interview Gabel himself and include quotes from him they are not without snide remarks about his recent arrest or criticism. She reinforces her ideas with a quote from another critic of the band’s actions, Mike Conklin of The L Magazine:

“when you say the same things over and over again, as loudly as [Gabel] did, into a microphone no less, to countless impressionable teenagers, you’ve effectively lost your right to just decide one day that you didn’t mean any of it.”

Against Me!’s position is that they are misunderstood and the whole ’sellout’ movement against them is a ridiculous waste of time and a case of hugely missing the point of their music. They push on and ‘New Wave’ is as harsh as ever on the industry with songs like ‘Up the Cuts’ and it’s title track. However many ex-fans critics feel differently. Some have even gone as far as to book protest shows against them and others have published guides to subverting the band’s concerts. The justification is often lacking however, just coming down to this whiney chorus from the peanut gallery of ‘They signed to a major label! How can they be critical! Hypocrites! Sellouts!” Ms. Gottlieb’s article for instance hinges on one sentence that the writer uses to justify much of her perspective on the band:

“Maybe the band’s subsequent jump to Sire Records–itself a subsidiary of Warner Bros., and thus a part of Time-Warner, the world’s largest media conglomerate–doesn’t pack the same epochal punch as Bob Dylan going electric, but the results again seem to justify the decision.”

However, it would seem this crucial line is horribly factually inaccurate.

Yes, Sire is in fact a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, however despite the name, they are not a part of Time Warner. WMG was sold off by Time Warner in late 2003 to an independent group of investors and is now completely independently owned an operated. These days, despite it’s ‘major label’ status, WMG targets it’s business much differently than it had in it’s past. In recent years WMG has focused on signing a lot of the bigger independent punk bands to get into more niche markets with less focus on the mainstream. Groups like Rancid and Less Than Jake have found homes where they previously wouldn’t have been considered “commercially viable.” Warner these days has become, apparently, a welcoming home to bands who want major label distribution and production without having to sacrifice their creative vision and values.

I think this often goes unknown or misunderstood by a lot of Against Me!’s fans and I imagine it has factored greatly in a lot of band’s signing to WMG labels.

The whole thing goes back to the age old ‘What makes someone a sellout?’ argument that any of us might have written about in out high school journalism classes. Unfortunately as trivial as that argument is, it still doesn’t have a clear answer. Personally, I tend to believe that the claims against Against Me! remain mostly unfounded and short sighted. I feel like it’s one more case of closed minded people who claim to be open. An unfortunate side effect often bred in punk culture. People who claim a “counter culture” but ultimately have a problem with anyone making a living selling their art or want to disrupt something other than a local basement show.

While I see some values in the criticism I think it’s unwarranted in this case. Certainly there is a moral difference between signing to a very large independent label that only makes music and signing to a global conglomerate media or electronics company that makes bombs for the government.

So in Against Me!’s own words:

“All the punks still singing the same song.
Is there anyone thinking what I am?
Is there any other alternative?

Are you restless like me?”

Sadly, I think “the punks” are missing the point.

Keeping in my ’seeking out inspiration’ kick, I just registered for the Seed conference with Jason Fried, Jim Coudal and Carlos Segura on October 29th. I’m looking forward to it, I hope to learn a lot. I’m also really enjoying networking as of late. I’ve been astounded by the people I’ve been meeting lately and it started with An Event Apart.

Coming out here to Chicago has been a huge opportunity for me, there is always something new and inspiring going on that fascinates me. So much to learn.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a screening of Wes Anderson’s Hotel Chevalier at the Apple Store. The screening was hosted by producer Roman Coppola. Afterwards Roman stuck around for Q&A. The crowd was excellent and his rapport with them was phenominal. While film is not my field of choice listening to Roman was really inspiring. He spoke about starting a project, from researching it and making compromises to achieve a vision. I’m really looking forward to The Darjeeling Limited.

It’s weird but I spent years in New York, the “cultural center of the world”, and somehow I missed opportunities like this. I think I’m just more in tune with the world around me now.

I’m excited.

Warren Ellis posted a link in his blog today to a site advertising ‘The Veidt Method’ by Adrian Veidt. Adrian Veidt is a fictional character from Alan Moore’s cult classic graphic Novel ‘Watchmen‘ which, after years of false starts is in the process of being turned into a movie directed by Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of The Dead). The movie has all the makings of a hit, even so I’m sure of course Moore will have nothing to do with it. The man is historic for having his works bastardized for film and removing his name from them.

The site in question, Mr. Ellis speculates that it may be tied to the movie release as viral marketing ARG (Alternate Reality Game, ala The Hanso Foundation and the TV show Lost). If he’s right it leaves much to be desired. Sure, the site makes mention of ‘Nova Express’ a fictional magazine from the Watchmen story and hawks the character’s ‘life changing methods,’ however the links are nonfunctional and even the mailing list box doesn’t work, it instead is a mailto link to ‘adrian@theveidtmethod.com‘. The site design is weak at best, I would imagine if Warner Brothers were to be getting into the viral game, they’d put a little more effort into it. A quick look at the HTML code reveals the site to be based off a free template webdesign credited to a ‘Joseph De Araujo‘. Lame.

Putting those things aside, the site still doesn’t make sense. For one, the Watchmen storyline takes place in an alternate reality, cold war era, 1985; a detail which is reportedly being retained for the movie. If that’s the case, a viral web ad campaign or ARG would be out of place. Especially seeing as how it’s not 1985 and the World Wide Web didn’t exist in it’s current form back then either.

The true telltale however is this: on the bottom left of the page there is a login link that brings up the following:

Real ARGs are never this sloppy. Suddenly it all makes a lot more sense. Looking a little harder one finds that the site is actually hosted at theonering.net: a Lord of the Rings fan site. Turns out, this isn’t their first attempt either, they’ve also been publishing a blogger website entitled ‘rorschach’s journal.‘ Some believe the guys at ‘theonering’ have been lobbying to try and get some deal with Warner Brothers to do viral marketing for the movie. My best guess is they hope to make another unofficial hub like theonering.net possibly based around Moore’s works or something. Since Lord of the Ring’s success they’ve sort of made a business out of movie fan sites apparently.

Conclusion: It’s nothing but a bunch of geeks with a hard on for the original comic book having some unofficial web fun and a letdown for us other geeks looking for something fun to dig though while we get hyped up looking forward to the movie.

To date the only official Watchmen teaser info can be found here. Go back to sleep Watchmen fans.

Eric Meyer NAILED my first thought about Microsoft’s new ‘Surface’ computing device. I watched all the product demos on the site just waiting for this to pop up.

On a serious note… that thing looks REALLY cool, I think for once Microsoft is right on the money, it’s going to change the industry with this technology. I’m not sure this is the right implementation, but it’s years ahead of the curve. Too bad it costs $10,000.

Then again, I thought Sega’s ‘Time Traveler’ was the future of gaming back in 1991. I was 10. Cut me some slack.

So.. how long before someone mods one to do what Eric’s suggesting?

I completely agree with the critics like John Gruber: The London 2012 Olympic games logo is hideous. It’s just inexcusably ugly.

Coudal Partners attempts to defend the logo but to me I almost find their defense offensive to common sense. They attempt to state 10 reasons why it should be loved, they make no comment of the fact it’s visually unpleasant. Regardless of why we ’should love it,’ the fact remains still that the logo is ugly. No amout of politicing in it’s favor will change that fact. However, for the sake of argument I’ll bite and respond to their defense:

It’s not boring. The bright colors and distinctive design definitely DO stand out and it’s immediately recognizable. Everyone’s talking about it. Designers always complain about the status quo, so we find it surprising that so very few are taking a stand for a somewhat radical design.

It looks like something out of the Flintstones. Just because it stands out doesn’t mean it’s good. I’m kinda insulted by the end of that statement really… The whole ‘designers always’ comment. Just because it’s a radical design doesn’t mean it’s good. I’m all for daring and unique if you can pull it off well and it looks good. Yeah this logo is definitely daring and definitely unique, but it doesn’t look good.

It’s different. It avoids all the go-to pratfalls of current logo design. No brushstrokes! No feathered drop shadows! No mirrored reflections! No gradients, patriotic colors, rainbows, ribbons, landmarks, symbols of unity, maps, swooshes or globes!

Yes it avoids a ton of cliché’s, and that is a good thing, but it subscribes to several others, most notable the neon pink ‘futuristic’ look of the early 1990s children’s toys and TV. I feel like I should be watching Saved By The Bell.

It’s reproducable. Aside from the word “London” going chunky when sloppily rendered for the web (notably on the BBC reproduction that ended up on every site critiquing the logo), it’s good to see a logo that’s so easily printable, broadcastable, embroiderable and moldable (think of how horrible those 9-color rainbow brushstroke logos look when they’re process-printed out-of-register with a 100 line screen on a McDonalds Cup!). It even looks pretty great in black and white.

It’s flexible. A variety of color combinations, shapes, and patterns are available, keeping the logo slightly different on each view, but consistent (the BBC showed only the pink and yellow version, which didn’t help its case). Also, keep in mind that an Olympic logo is almost always saddled with the logos of corporate partners. This square, bold mark will hold up.

It’s the basis for a graphic system. Events require a complicated system of signage, identification, ornamentation, and even architecture. This logo and its associated colors, shapes, type and patterns are the perfect starting point for some fantastic signage, event icons, banners, tickets, uniforms and merchandise.

So… basically it meets the requirements for being a logo? The whole point of creating a logo is to be able to create a brand image around it. Anything that can’t be printed with other logos or in different sizes would be simply unacceptable. Just because this logo can do these things doesn’t mean it should be picked.

The last part in that group actually scares me… ‘a basis for a graphic system’ ugggg a whole theme based around this hideous thing… yuck!

It’s timeless. We’ve read complaints that it’s reminiscent of Tangrams (popular since the 1800s), Jamie Reid’s “Never Mind the Bollocks” cover (1977), MTV (1981), ’80s new wave design (Swatch, Bennetton), Emigre Magazine, early 90s television titles (Wacaday, Going Live, The Ben Stiller Show). We’ve read complaints that it’s too ‘current’ and it’ll look dated by 2012. We’ve also read complaints that it’s too futuristic or modern. As far as we’re concerned, all design is influenced by other design. This design rises above its influences, yet remains simple enough to stand on its own. If current trends continue (towards four color, “computery” 3-D), this logo will be even more fresh in five years.

I hate this defense.. just because there is a lot of bad design out there that seem to have a lot of similar conventions which this one lacks doesn’t mean this is good. It just means this one manages to stand on it’s own with it’s ugliness, it succeeds in being ugly in a completely refreshing way.

It’s English. The two names that come to mind when we hear “british design” are two of our favorite designers of all time: Neville Brody and Peter Saville. Without being a direct knockoff, the 2012 logo is evocative of their work, the punk and new-wave movements, rave culture and everything we like about the United Kingdom.

What? Because it’s jagged and neon it evokes all these things? I kinda find that demeaning to those cultural movements.

When we hear “my kid could have done that!” we think “success.” Some of the greatest logos of all time involve two lines (the Christian cross) or three lines and a circle (Mercedes). Your kid COULD have done that, but she didn’t. Nor did she design the graphics standards manual that goes with it. So give it a rest. Or send us her resume.

There is a difference between this logo and a Jackson Pollock painting. Sure they both have that same criticism of them, and that defense. But the fact of the matter is Pollock’s work managed to have an air of excitement and interest around it, bottom line, it was good. This logo is just ugly. Just because it’s simple or different doesn’t make it good, this defense could be raised to almost any piece of art that is simple, doesn’t mean it’s right or worth defending, and it detracts from the real instances where this defense is important. It comes off as that elitist ‘art for art’s sake’ attitude that so often leads people to think all artists are self righteous nut-jobs. It hurts the design community as a whole when you use this excuse on something not worthwhile.

It cost £400,000. That’s probably a bargain for an incredibly high-profile complete graphic identity system for an international company/event designed by experienced professionals. Anyone valuing the importance of design should give that argument a rest, too. We wouldn’t have taken the job for a shilling less.

Do you know what that translates to in Dollars… shit. I’d kill for a gig like that and laugh all the way to the bank. I cannot believe London’s olympic committee got suckered into that. It’s comparable to the emperor’s new wardrobe. Someone must have convinced them this was smart when the fact is they got takenL The emperor has no clothes on.

It’s unexpected. Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympics and the temporary logo is a perfectly decent design. It’s attractive, memorable and generally liked. It even generated a fair amount of internet buzz. But those brushstrokes and gradients don’t reproduce well, the narrow vertical orientation complicates usage and by 2016, the Sears Tower is likely to be Chicago’s third-tallest building. More than anything, the London logo takes the Olympic logo to a new level of boldness, abstraction and simplicity. And we’re a bit jealous.

Just because it’s unique doesn’t mean it’s good. It doesn’t hide the fact that it’s ugly. Yes it stands out.. because it’s ugly.

To make matters worse it says nothing about the olympics ANY logo could be put in the middle of that zero and it would symbolize that. The logo cannot stand alone and evoke any sort of meaning. It cannot exist and say ‘olympics,’ ’sports,’ ‘competition,’ or anything for that matter without the olympic rings in it. seeing things like this make me miss people like Paul Rand who knew how to use symbolism to make something meaningful, is there no one like him left these days? There is a point where abstraction without meaning is just dumb and any function is lost. This is way past that point. Is there really a whole generation of designers out there that meaning and symbolism is lost on? That scares me really.

Comedy Central’s new show Lil’ Bush is not funny. It’s just lame. I give it 6 weeks tops. If you need proof you can watch preview clips on YouTube. The show is terrible, I challenge anyone to state a decent case otherwise.

Finally got my HDTV working! I’ve got a MacMini and an AppleTV hooked up to it… it’s amazing and i’m ripping my first DVD. ‘The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi’ Some Japanese samurai movie my friend Chris made me borrow it a while ago and I keep forgetting to watch it, so I’m ripping it and giving it back to him.

I’m going to have the most awesome home theater setup in the freakin’ world when I get to Chi-town.

Living Room:
40″ Samsung HDTV capable of 1080p
Apple Airport Extreme Basestation with 802.11n
Nintendo Wii via composite wired to basestation
Microsoft XBox 360 via component wired to basestation
Sega Dreamcast via VGA with 2 keyboards for typing of the dead.
Sony PS2 via composite
AppleTV via component wireless 802.11n
Apple MacMini via HDMI with eyeTV Hybrid for recording. MacMini is modded to have 802.11n instead of g! MacMini has a Nyko AirFlo hooked up to it via USB and will be loaded with Emulators.

Last but not least:
Namco TV games Ms. Pac-Man / Galaga. via composite.

In the other room:
PowerMac G5 with a 500gb harddrive, wired directly to airport base station. Drive will be filled with movies, music and TV shows eventually to stream to the AppleTV!

and my favorite part:

At my parent’s house:
SlingboxAV hooked up to digital cable and eithernet to stream TV from NY… to Chicago.
Definition: Free NY cable in Chicago! More importantly - Free Yankee Games in Chicago!

All i need now is the Slingbox and the Wii network adaptor.

Note about the wireless: The MacMini is modded to 802.11n from 802.11g because it’s my goal to have only n wireless devices in my apartment, meaning: really fast data transfer rates between devices. Doing so voided the warranty but that’s besides the point.

My Laptop, the Mini, and the AppleTV all have n. g will be disabled. Hence why the Wii will be hard wired instead of wireless. Any g device on the network brings the whole speed down to g instead of n. Only downside: no online PSP… but I never use it anyway.

I am such a huge fucking nerd. But I know you’re jealous.

My apartment is going to rock! It’s like a mecca for consumer electronics whores like myself. Now I need surround sound… haha

I’m going to go out on a limb and just flat out dissagree with Robert Scoble.In his latest post he cites an EngadgetHD article noting that there are only two years remaining until the government mandated shut down of analog television. Thus completing the switch to the more efficient, higher quality and most of all, media company friendly, digital signals.Scoble uses his own father for the example as to why this shutdown won’t happen. While he raises a good point his arguement is flawed. His point is old people vote, and they vote in large numbers. He argues that when they find out we’re going to take their analog TV from them, they will come out in droves and change the laws. I’ll go on the record and agree if there is anything that would, and could stop this upgrade it’s cranky old people voting it down.But I’m also going on the record to say it won’t happen. The transition will happen without a hitch.I think by the time the analog switch is flipped off no one will really notice. Especially the elderly who are less in-tune to technology. The main reason for this is something I’m not sure Scoble really caught: the switch doesn’t require the average consumer to upgrade their set, only their signal. It just means that pretty much every household who wants a cable connection will have to switch from an analog reciever to a digital reciever. They don’t need to buy an HDTV or anything of the like. My parents 15 year old TV works fine with the digital box and probably so will Scoble’s dad’s.The thing is most people don’t understand the difference between analog and digital, nor do they care, they just know the cable company is offering them a better deal and more channels if they switch the box on top of their TV. Most people won’t even be aware it’s happening, or that they have digital service.In my area, here on Long Island, the transition is pretty much completed already. Cablevision, the dominent provider in the area has made it cheaper to switch to their iO digital cable service than to keep your existing analog one. Combine that with the cheap bundles of broadband with your digital signal and it’s pretty much insane not to. And now more companies are getting into the game. Verizon for example has started to penetrate the once monopolistic grip of Cablevision with their FiOS service and they don’t offer analog service at all.I think Scoble raises a good point, if highly publicized I think people would come out against the transition. But I believe it would be almost entirely based on misunderstanding. Even if people did band together against it, if consumer rights groups got up in arms, I’d argue you wouldn’t hear about it too much. Not to sound cynical or conspiracy theorist but the media companies aren’t exactly going to publicize it when they stand to benefit from the transition and the people who would be up in arms aren’t exactly reading blogs on a daily basis either.Watch, the transition’s going to happen with a whimper. The media companies have been working on this for a while and by the time the clock expires to be done people won’t even know it happened, with a very small handful of exceptions who are too out of touch to have their voices heard. Mark my words.

RIP Audioslave.

I kinda saw it coming when Chris Cornell did that song for Casino Royal with another band.  Now all this talk about a Rage Against the Machine reunion?

The writing was on the wall. But it came officially today via Cornell’s MySpace page that he has left Audioslave. Since Audioslave was basically Rage minus Zack plus Chris, I think it’s safe to say they are done.

I’ll be happy if Rage gets back together but I’m still dissapointed, I really liked the blend of styles that Audioslave created and I felt like they were pushing music forward in a stagnating market.

Maybe it’s time for a revolution though? Rage could certainly kick things up a notch.

(Via Punknews)