R-r-random!

[size=150:37u99s1x]Council slogans more ludicrous than Flight of the Conchords
[size=85:37u99s1x]By Sue Carroll 19/07/2010

Councils are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds replacing traditional boundary signs with bizarre and meaningless slogans.

Visitors to Northamptonshire (once known as “The Rose of the Shires”) are now greeted with the words “Welcome to Northamptonshire – Let Yourself Grow”.

This prompted Marie Clair, of the Campaign for Plain English, to comment that the county “seems to be marketing itself as a bag of compost”.

Newham Council in London announces it’s a place “where people choose to live, work and stay”. Well, fancy that.

It reminds me of the posters inside the New Zealand consulate in the hit HBO show Flight of the Conchords (a cult comedy about Kiwis in New York, shown here on BBC4).

One said “New Zealand: Like Scotland, but further.” Rib-tickling.

But not a patch on “Tower Hamlets: Let’s Make It Happen”.

Satire is never as funny as the real thing.

Friday, 9 July 2010
[size=150:2hqey2og]An Open Letter To Bret &
Jemaine...

[url=http:
//i26.
tinypic.
com/ogkthi.
jpg:2hqey2og][/url:2hqey2og]

A couple of months back the website team heard that Kiwi funnymen Bret and Jemaine of Flight of the Conchords fame were to be playing some dates in the UK, at Wembley no less! Cue feverish activity at Rokit HQ: eyes shining and cheeks rosy with excitement, we dropped them an email, inviting them to visit us and marvel at our plethora of animal sweaters, leather suits, dungarees and natty beige slacks. We even included this delightful set of cut-out-and-dress-up Bret and Jemaine dolls (feel free to print off your own copy) flanked by a selection of our most Conchord-worthy merchandise to tempt them. Alas: as yet, we have received no reply.

Here, published in full for the first time, is a touching and heartfelt open letter (more of a poem really) to the duo, asking, "
Why did you ignore us, boys?"



Flight of the Conchords: you shattered our dreams,
we loved your songs, their rhymes, their themes,
probably more than that Mel character who always crops up in your show,
y'know, we just appreciated your rhyd'm an' flo...

Oh Bret and Jemaine, how could you be so cruel?
Were you worried about the consumption of fuel
involved in visiting our North London warehouse?
(it is a pressing ecological issue, granted, but you had just flown over from NZ, and we'd have thought: in for a penny, in for a pound...)

Jemaine, was it that we came on too strong,
With our lovingly recreated cut-out version of you in a skimpy thong?
(FYI thongs are woefully inadequate underpants in the UK, not flip flops as you antipodeans seem to think)

Or maybe it was Murray who got upset,
seeing as we only worked our Photoshop magic on Jemaine and Bret;

and vetoed the whole thing in favour of a trip around London's band rotundas...

Whatever the story, the deal's the same:
Just remember, you have only yourselves to blame -
that we'll never get to tear your clothes off on the photocopier.
Your loss.


Judges for the T.S.Eliot Poetry Prize: we'll assume our cheque is in the post...

gezyka wrote:

[url=Source][/url]

:#haha#: :#thumbsup#:

[size=150:egmhtit9]A colony of Batmen, and other all-star casts we'd like to see

JULIE HINDS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Posted: July 25, 2010

Have you seen the ads for "
The Expendables,"
the new movie out next month that has a knockout cast of action icons like Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin and more?

Movies with all-star casts are kind of like baseball's All-Star game -- they're exciting in theory, but you have to wait and see if they actually deliver on their promise or are just a dull interruption to the regular season.

"
Ocean's Eleven,"
the caper film with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and their many dazzling costars, got it right. It didn't take itself too seriously, yet it gave all of the actors a chance to turn on the charm.

But let's not even discuss "
Grown Ups,"
the recent comedy with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and others. I didn't see it, but I feel as if I know most of the jokes after watching the TV commercials for it approximately 10,000 times. Does that count?

I'm holding out hope that "
The Expendables"
will be rock 'em, sock 'em fun for action fans. What other all-star casts would you like to see? And in what sort of movies? Here are some possibilities that might convince audiences to spend an afternoon at the multiplex.

The Brat Pack grows up: This would reunite the stars of 1980s pop-culture landmarks by director-writer-producer John Hughes -- films like "
Pretty in Pink,"
"
The Breakfast Club,"
and "
Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
-- in a laugh-dotted drama about men and women coping with middle age. It was nice to see Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and the rest at the Oscar telecast's tribute to Hughes. Now let's give them all a chance to get together on the big screen.

The "
Daily Show"
correspondents: As much as I like Steve Carell on "
The Office"
and Stephen Colbert on "
The Colbert Report,"
I miss their presence on Jon Stewart's influential skewering of the news and media. So how about putting them in a comedy that also stars "
Daily Show"
alums Ed Helms ("
The Hangover"
) and Rob Corddry ("
Hot Tub Time Machine"
) and current regulars John Oliver, Aasif Mandvi and Samantha Bee?

Batman forever and ever: Calling all Bruce Waynes. If you've always wondered why Batman looks so different from movie to movie, this could explain it. Worlds would collide when Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale meet in a storyline about Caped Crusaders from parallel universes. And, of course, there'd be a cameo for television Batman Adam West.

Hail to the chiefs: Do you like politically themed movies that take a behind-the-scenes look at the White House? Then you might enjoy watching some former presidents gather to help deal with the challenges America faces. And they'd be portrayed by actors who've already occupied the Oval Office, at least in movies or on TV -- Morgan Freeman ("
Deep Impact"
), Bill Pullman ("
Independence Day"
), Michael Douglas ("
The American President"
), Harrison Ford ("
Air Force One"
), Martin Sheen ("
The West Wing"
) and Geena Davis ("
Commander in Chief"
).

[size=130:egmhtit9]The best of HBO: You've heard of crossover episodes on TV. What about a movie that takes some great characters from the pay-cable channel's acclaimed shows and introduces them to each other? Let's see, maybe Carmela Soprano of "
The Sopranos"
(Edie Falco), Carrie Bradshaw of "
Sex and the City"
(Sarah Jessica Parker), Bill Henrickson of "
Big Love"
(Bill Paxton) and the "
Flight of the Conchords"
guys (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) could all wind up in the same book club.

America's sweethearts: I'd buy a ticket to see a heartwarming comedy with Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston -- if Betty White plays their sarcastic grandmother.

[size=150:1v87mc76]Kiwis 'sing in American accent'

Call us loyal, but not to the Kiwi accent - nearly all New Zealand pop musicians sing with an American-influenced accent, new research has found.

AUT University culture, discourse and communication masters student Andy Gibson looked at why we pronounce words differently when we sing.

His research found the American accent is so tied up with pop music that it has become the norm - to the point where New Zealanders struggle to sing with their own accent.

"
Studies in the past have suggested that non-American singers wilfully put on American accents but my research suggests the opposite - that an American-influenced accent is the default when singing pop,"
Mr Gibson said.

He studied three New Zealand singers and found there were huge differences between the sung and spoken pronunciation of the same words.

The accent New Zealanders sing with is not really American, but a default "
pop music accent"
which comes automatically.

Even well-known artists - such as Crowded House and Loyal songwriter Dave Dobbyn - sing with the pop music accent.

The accent is sometimes criticised for being inauthentic, but Mr Gibson said people should not be overly judgmental.

"
To sing in a New Zealand accent takes awareness and effort, and it is usually quite noticeable because it is so uncommon,"
he said.

"
The American accent doesn't stick out in singing because we are so used to hearing it."


[size=150:1v87mc76]New Zealand accents were more prominent in music by independent artists or comedy acts like Flight of the Conchords and Fred Dagg, Mr Gibson said.

But not all pop musicians sing with the default pop accent.

"
Anika Moa has moments here and there where you can definitely hear her distinct New Zealand vowels."

[size=150:2x3y2qvz]New Zealand iPhone 4 Launch Called a 'Nightmare'
[size=85:2x3y2qvz]July 30, 2010
By Paula Bernier
Executive Editor, IP Communications Magazines

The New Zealand introduction of the iPhone 4 this week was anything but smooth. In fact, according to one report, a frustrated potential buyer of the smartphone called it a “nightmare”.

Hundreds of eager customers on the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean reportedly lined up outside the sales offices of Vodafone NZ and other dealers of the Apple device to buy the iPhone 4. But they left without getting what they came for.

After customers waited outside, some since dawn, for store openings, employees reportedly told them to come back in the afternoon. When customers returned to go through the same exercise that afternoon, they were told only existing Vodafone (News - Alert) customers were eligible for the smartphone, which was in limited supply.

Various reports on the matter expressed customer outrage at the situation, which led some New Zealanders to pledge their intentions to curtail their Vodafone services.

I’m a huge fan of the HBO comedy Flight of the Conchords, which is about two musicians and their agent from New Zealand living in New York, so while I’m sorry for the frustration of the actual folks who had to go through this, I can’t help but wonder how this situation would’ve played out had Jemaine, Bret and Murray been involved.

But one thing is clear: In the Flight of the Conchords, customers from Australia would’ve never been treated like this.

davidfarrier: HA! rt @TheKevinButler: Well, look what just arrived from the fine folks at TV3 in New Zealand... http://twitpic.com/2b1qan

Name: Kevin Butler

Location: San Francisco

Bio: As VP at PlayStation, I’m a man of the people. And the people need help. Stubborn spouse? Divided family? PS3 deprived? Rest easy. Kevin’s here.

[size=150:8ozq8zvc]Kevin Butler receives Kiwi treats
[size=85:8ozq8zvc]11:58 am Tuesday 3 August, 2010
by James Cullinane

TV3 has responded to fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler's suggestion that PlayStation 3 become "
the official game console of New Zealand"
and his request for a boxed set of The Flight of the Conchords.

In a Tweet, "
KB"
writes, "
Well, look what just arrived from the fine, fine folks at TV3 in New Zealand..."
showing a package containing such Kiwi fare are Marmite, Toffee Pops, Pineapple Lumps, Milo, and the aforementioned TV series.

The package was sent after a TV3 promotion for "
Big Monday"
appeared to plagiarise a Sony Computer Entertainment America advertisement for the PlayStation 3.

Kevin Butler, the fictional star of the Sony campaign, took the high ground, calling the TV3 advertisement an "
amazing homage"
to his marketing prowess. On the official PlayStation blog, "
Butler"
wrote, "
I’d like TV3’s support in making the PS3 the OFFICIAL GAME CONSOLE OF NEW ZEALAND. I see this as the only way to make it right with the world. Our super hero team-up could bring the benefits of incredible HD games, Blu-ray movies and the wealth of content available on the PlayStation Network to billions of New Zealanders. Only a total victory in that fine country will satisfy this situation. That, and a box set of Flight of The Conchords sent to the fine creative team in our marketing organization."

emira wrote:

:#rofl#: :#rofl#: :#rofl#: :#rofl#: :#rofl#: :#rofl#: but also :#sadlove#:

[size=150:2ygnidml]Sub Pop's Considering Giving the Music Away for Free
[size=130:2ygnidml]But you gotta buy the T-shirt first.
[size=85:2ygnidml]By Chris Kornelis
Wednesday, Aug 4 2010

In the decade since music fans began downloading music, album sales have fallen by about half, major labels have been put on a death watch, and Radiohead gave away one of the most hotly anticipated albums in recent memory.

Still, labels big and small keep signing bands and records keep getting made. How to finance this over the long term is yet to be determined. Sub Pop, the Seattle label that pitches artists from Fleet Foxes to Flight of the Conchords, is floating the idea of relying less on the business of selling music altogether.

In a statement, general manager Megan Jasper says that though Sub Pop's known for the albums their bands release, the label's not opposed to "
expanding into the fine world of T-shirts, hats, beer cozies, and key chains. We used to give many of these tchotchke items away for free in an effort to entice people to pay for the music, but we're considering flipping our strategy so that people pay for the toy and receive the music for free."


Sub Pop's not talking about specific plans;
but basically, instead of downloading an album on iTunes, for example, fans could go to retailers like Everyday Music, Easy Street, or a band's merch table on tour and buy a screen-printed poster that includes a download for the record at no additional cost.

"
CDs may end up being like little books. You might spend the time to do a cool package, it just doesn't have a disc in it,"
says Sub Pop art director Jeff Kleinsmith. (See Q&
A, page 117.) "
And instead of a disc, you've got a little piece of paper that says 'Go here for your download.' So you're getting everything about it except for that plastic disc, you know? And that could be a magazine, it could be a shirt, it could be a sticker on a banana. It could be anything, really, that has that download."


Sub Pop and other indie labels have long given away download codes with sales of LPs. And record labels, including those under the Warner Music umbrella—Atlantic, Nonesuch, etc.—have experimented with digital/physical combo purchases over the years. Though Warner owns 49 percent of Sub Pop, the label works independently and has free rein on issues such as this.

"
CDs are still the majority of our business, but I don't think it's any secret that we're constantly exploring new opportunities for our artists to make a living in the music business, whether it's digital, download cards, music synchs in commercials,"
says Matt Young, Warner's Vice President for Merchandise. "
I think Sub Pop is being aggressive and really smart about the business of music. They're looking for new ways to help their artists make a living in this space."


Jason Hughes, co-owner of Seattle's Sonic Boom Records on Capitol Hill and Ballard, however, isn't thrilled. He's seen labels and bands try to sell non-traditional items with albums—from lamps to USB drives—and he says they've all been more trouble than they're worth.

"
It's too hard to merchandise posters or T-shirts,"
Hughes says. "
From a retail point of a record store, I don't want to retool because they want to start selling different things than what they've been selling for the last 20 years. They're just trying to maximize their profits, but when you're devaluing the thing that's the cornerstone of your business [music], maybe they shouldn't be in that business. Maybe they should be in the tchotchke business."

chrissycubana wrote:


[url=BOOM! shirt - vote for it at threadless][/url]


the daily what bills it as an homage to comics, but we all know it's more FOTC based :;
):


it could also be for weeble's fans...

[url=profiteroles! Boom! explosive taste in your mouth!][/url]

Thanks to my aunt for sending me this from Brazil http://twitpic.com/2iroij

emira wrote:Is this in English? :#idea#:

http://prohomeinsurance.co.cc/flight-of ... ickets.htm

sarahhazelton: My poor office plant, Bret, is barely surviving. (But @Zoe_Walton's plant Jemaine thrives.) http://yfrog.com/j5losyj #greenthumb #fail