Thoughtful Preparations: Media Spin Blog

In case you missed the Super Bowl XL commercials, they are posted at Google’s video site. Budweiser sponsored enough ads to assure a couple of winners, and my favorite was the follow-up to the previously aired and beautifully photographed Clydesdale horses lining up for a football scrimmage and being referreed by a zebra. In this one, a shaved sheep bursts on the scene, interupting the game, and two cowpokes comment, “Streaker.” Silly pink lamb animation adds to the fun. Also good was the suburban Bud guys telling their wives they were working on the roof, and then setting up roof top parties. The Burger King “Whopperettes” was great silly fun. A couple of big monster CG ads by FedEx and Hummer were good, but more weird than funny. My worst ad choices are the Pepsi themed ads, especially the Hip Hop one. Really weak. The Cadillac Escalade fashion model runway mix should make anyonewho owns one who isn’t already embarrassed, truly ashamed. I suspect most Escalade owners lack shame anyway.

In the end I felt the luster of the Super Bowl ads had tarnished a bit. Less great ads, more blah blah car and TV promo ads. It looks like the Super Bowl is headed the way of the Miss America pageant, like who cares?

Google Maps Mania, an unofficial Google Maps blog, was recently covered in an NPR news story. The site has many cool links to individual interests based on locations.

A related site, Google Sightseeing, is themed around collecting eye catching satellite photographs.

Yahoo’s new Flash-based maps also have an API that can be accessed and customized, as seen at the Programmable Web blog. Yahoo is also developing a Local Events browser based on their maps, as described by a Yahoo! developer’s blog. Other Yahoo map users linked their videos to locations.

This weekend I am finishing up the last of 200 health-themed biomedical images for a PureStock CD-ROM. All of the illustrations were composed and rendered with Maya 3D software. This project started late in the summer, and is finally arriving at the last few images to complete the collection. Along the way I made use of some cool texture shaders to give the body parts an x-ray look, and cells an “under the microscope look.” If sales go well enough, I’d like to invest in more detailed 3D body models, with more veins, nerves, muscles and tendons. “Igor, come quickly, I’ve got a job for you!”

The silent truth of a tree is an antidote to the many voices babbling in the news space, the workplace, and any number of stresses in your face.

Imagine a few of the combating world leaders sitting in a circle beneath this tree, surrounded by the peace and tranquility of a fine day which the good earth so often provides. In the granduer of nature, they may humble themselves. We can only hope so.

An opinion piece in today’s S.F. Chronicle written by John Arquilla a professor of defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, Why we should take Osama’s olive branch, is a hopeful reminder that peace is within reach. The professional military strategist and historian points out that all wars, hot or cold, eventually reach a point of sitting down and negotiating with the enemy, such as Bush has already done with Libya’s Khadafy, a long time terrorist supporter.

In an anxious alert to this years’s upcoming E3 game conference attendees, Sex and Games, warns of new rules in the Exhibitor’s Handbook. Serious game boys are not focusing on the vendors’ electronic entertainment. They don’t get out too often, and become hypnotized by booth babes. Fantasy role playing games never looked so real.

Some blame has been placed upon overachievers, such as a 2005 E3 Wheelchair Groper. See other photos of booth babes behavior and judge for yourselves, “Be they beautiful or be they bad?” Vendors may wonder if the new burka babes policy will dampen attendance.

Somebody on the CG Talk Forum dreamed this one up.

My impression is that the grand day of “Disney Animation” which is what they called their great hand drawn animation at Disney has been surpassed by Pixar quality computer animation standards. The atmosphere at Pixar the other day seemed quiet, as though there was a hushed excitement of anticipation over what changes might occur. Or more likely, computer animators are busy creating worlds of their own and are not thinking too much about billion dollar corporate deals.

I was underwhelmed by Disney’s Fantasia 2000 which I saw in IMAX. The original Fantasia was a Disney pinnacle of experimental animation designed around great musical themes. Fantasia 2000 seemed like a weak attempt by Disney to keep up with computer animation and the pack of animation innovators launched by MTV and the digital era. It is wise that Disney corporate is handing over plenty of creative control to the new generation at Pixar. It bodes well for both companies.

The foundation films of John Waters early Divine classics shot in Baltimore involved local gangs competing for King and Queens of Filth. Following in his trashy tradition, John Waters has a series coming out on Here! TV, America’s first gay televison network, entitled John Waters Presents Movies that will Corrupt You.

Here is the stuff that will test the mettle of curious Right-wing Puritans: films such as Freeway, Beefcake, and Sissy Boy Slap Party are just a few of the irreverent titles in the series. The movies Mr. Waters has chosen are designed to disturb you in a delightful way. Take walk on the wild side with John Waters hosting and adding commentary before and after each title.

Forming his own anti-Martha Stewart taste setting niche, Waters released A John Waters Christmas CD in time for this past holiday season, including gems by Tiny Tim and Fat Daddy.

This freedom of choice photo sums it up. One person with a baby, one vote.