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The Office: Four Countries Compared
2007-02-23 19:14:02
I’m a recent Office convert. I don’t watch too much TV (the only other show I follow is LOST), but as my roommates incessantly play re-runs of Dwight vomiting on his car, after a while I had to see what it was all about. And as any good American would (and should), I fell in love. A couple days ago, a friend of mine mentioned an article she had read discussing the cultural differences highlighted between the German, French, American, and British adaptations of the show, a cultural exploration I found most intriguing. After a bit of internet mining, I discovered said article, and found it fascinating. Watching all four versions back-to-back is not only a strangely unmooring experience?like seeing the film Groundhog Day over and over?it’s a crash course in national identity. And if any conjecture could be made about the cultural differences that these subtly contrasting programs reveal, it might be this one: These days, Germans and Americans are doing much of their l...
More About: The Office , Comp , Compare , Countries

The Number 24 Trailer
2007-02-22 01:12:02
OGMOG ORIGINAL CONTENT! Check out this awesome trailer spoof for THE NUMBER 23 by the LA sketch comedy troupe Tremendosaur. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR1_epbmI2 g That video was made by myself and Cobbler - check out the rest of our stuff here.
More About: Trailer , The N , Numb , Number 2 , Rail

Special DVD Tapings of UCB’s ASSSSCAT
2007-02-21 13:12:01
First things first, if you’ve never been to see the UCB Theatre’s premier improv show, ASSSSCAT, you’re missing some of the best long-form improv in LA. Every show has a guest monologist, who riffs off a suggestion, and then the improvisers go nuts. That’s every Saturday (8pm, $8) and Sunday (FREE, at 7:30, line starts around 6:30). But that’s not what this post is about. The Upright Citizens Brigade is planning on releasing an ASSSSCAT DVD, and will be taping four special shows in LA on March 3rd and 4th for said disc. Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz are flying out from New York to play and the monologists are rumored to Paul F. Tompkins and Jen Kirkman (who, sidenote, just released a new CD.) The shows should be even crazier than normal, so if you want to go, I suggest buying a ticket in advance (they’re selling them through the website via Paypal). The 8pm Saturday show is already sold out. If you don’t get a ticket, don’t fret...
More About: Cat , Dvd , Special , Ping

Kurt Cobain’s 40th Birthday
2007-02-21 13:12:01
Yesterday, Kurt Cobain would’ve turned forty years old, and that makes me feel like a grandfather. I’m a big Nirvana fan, and the fact that the voice behind grunge would be a middle-aged father right now (if he hadn’t been horrifically assassinated by his wife) frightens the hell out of me. Things you should read/listen to/wait for/watch if you’ve got a thing for old man Cobain: 1. HEAVIER THAN HEAVEN - the authorized biography by Charles R. Cross. This book breaks it down old school, detailing Kurt’s transformation from fun-loving kid to seriously effed-up musical genius. 2. MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK - the first time grunge went acoustic. While the studio albums are all great and MUDDY BANKS is pretty sweet, nothing compares to the raw emotion behind the acoustic strings (and the cello) in UNPLUGGED. More after the jump.
More About: Birthday , Birth

Tuesday-Chooseday: The Prestige, etc.
2007-02-21 07:11:01
THE PRESTIGE - I really dug this flick when it came out last year. I hope that it holds up on DVD, even though surprise-twisters (such as THE SIXTH SENSE) usually don’t. More than anything, the writing in this movie is top-notch, as is to be expected these days from the Nolan Bros. THE BICYCLE THIEF: CRITERION COLLECTION - I’m a sucker for father/son relationships in movies, and this one really breaks my heart. A classic from the Italian neo-realist movement, I’d trust Criterion to package this one up nicely. More after the jump, including Chris Guest and Alex P. Keaton.
More About: Rest , Tuesday , Choose , Prestige , The Prestige

Trailer for The Office, Directed by J.J. Abrams
2007-02-20 19:10:02
This Thursday’s episode of THE OFFICE is directed by J.J. Abrams - the creator of LOST. Abrams has been a longtime fan of the comedy series, so this Thursday’s episode should be worth it. OGMOG EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a promo for Thursday’s show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a-syJVjjT 8
More About: Office , The Office , Trailer , Direct , Rail

Monday Mediabation #12
2007-02-20 19:10:02
I’ve got no complaints about Monday when it’s a holiday. Here’s your mediabation: 1. Line Rider Animations by Everyone! Around New Year’s, Big Brotherford posted about Line Rider - a super fun online timewaster. Well, people have started using the simple program to animate. It’s a very interesting medium, as it is 100% based around the constraints of an extremely simple program - but as Twyla Tharp says, “limitation breeds creativity.” Check one vid below, more are here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW44BpXpjY w (Too bad it’s not a better song.)  More mediabation, after the jump…
More About: Media , Onda

DRM: Explained (For Your Dad)
2007-02-20 19:10:02
DRM is an often confusing system, and the ideological and political questions that surround it are equally so. As such, I find I get lots of blank-faces when I discuss the issues surround DRM with most people (especially those not engaged in the tech community). It isn’t just about computers, it isn’t just about rights and liberties, it isn’t just about creative content. It’s about, in a way, everything - just as the information ecology movement (i.e. Free Culture, Copyleft, Free Software, etc.) deals with a huge array of disciplines, from constitutional law to the arts, so too does the discussions about its issues often require a deep understanding of different ideas and concepts. In lieu of such limitations,the dudes over at WRIED came up with 5 easy ways to explain DRM to someone who is out of touch with current arguments and opinions concerning digital-rights. The examples they chose were clear and concise, and get at a much broader understanding than th...
More About: Plain , Your , Laine

Traffic On The 8s: February 18th
2007-02-19 07:09:01
Today?s picture comes from flickr user Manamanah. Today?s tip: Audiobooks.  Here in LA, we’ve got the worst traffic in the United States.  With no real let up between sunrise and the wee hours of the night, sometimes the best thing to do is try to enjoy yourself while you’re in traffic. Audiobooks make the time go by slowly.  I recommend The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman, and the entire Harry Potter series, read brilliantly by the Grammy-winning Jim Dale.   Check out audiobookcafe.com to read reviews of audio-books - and, sound off in the comments section to let us know what you’ve been listening to. See you next time, on the 8s. Send your traffic tips or pictures to submissions ?at? ogmog ?dot? com. We?ll post our favorites.
More About: Traffic , February

Dekotora: Japanese Trucks/Supervillain Transports
2007-02-19 07:09:01
Dark Roasted Blend has a gallery of Dekotora: loudly decorated Japan ese trucks that light up at night like a supernova. According to Wikipedia, both hobbyists and actual truckers may customize their rigs in this fashion. I guess I can understand a little customization but wow… these trucks look like Transformers from a thousand years in the future. Where the universe has been transformed into an anime cartoon. Actually, I’ll bet this is how Michael Bay originally wanted Optimus Prime to look. Zing. More (bright) pics after the jump.
More About: Sports , Sport , Truck , Trucks

White Collar Graffiti
2007-02-19 01:08:02
While I still respect old skool spray can and magnum tagging graffiti, a big part of me feels like that shit belongs in a vandalism museum. Where’s has the innovation been lately with defacing public property? A lot of tag artists have made a shift into the anti-advertising movement, like Standler pointed out with these guys, and now, I found these guys, the Urban Nightmares Coll ective (UNC). The Canadian-based UNC is replacing spray cans with nonsensical posters and totally getting away with it. More poster-vandals after the jump.
More About: Graffiti , White , Collar

Forgotten Television: Heat Vision and Jack
2007-02-19 01:08:02
Forgotten Tele vision , Round 3! This show’s been circulating on the internet for years, but it’s a slow day here at OgMog and if you’ve never seen Heat Vision and Jack , you’ve been missing out. FOX’s Heat Vision and Jack stars Jack Black as Jack Austin, a former astronaut who was given superintelligence when he flew too close to the sun. Owen Wilson plays Heat Vision, Jack’s talking motorcycle. Ron Silver (of Time Cop) plays himself, Ron Silver, the NASA villain who will stop at nothing to kill Jack Austin. The show was directed by Ben Stiller. More info, and video of the pilot, after the jump.
More About: Levi

Rich Kids Get Snow
2007-02-18 07:06:01
When I was growing up, rich kids had TVs in their own rooms. Now they can control the weather. Snow Economics, makers of resort-quality snow machines have been selling to homemakers who can afford them since 2000. One of their patrons, David Young has two Snow at Home machines and takes the occasional day off work (why report to a boss when you can control the fucking weather?) just to play with his toys. ?It?s hard to stop when the weather is right,? he said. ?You can set the guns up and go to sleep, but I like to go and mess with them. My neighbors are going to work at the casinos at 3 a.m. and I?m out there, too, messing with the guns. I just like being out in it. It?s really hard to turn the guns off; it looks so good piling up.? When real snow falls, Mr. Young said, ?my daughter thinks I made it.? I’m simultaneously jealous and outraged. Mr. Young’s daughter is an idiot, she probably also believes in Santa Clause. On the other hand, I want one of these, so, I gu...
More About: Kids , Rich , Rich Kids

Gaming for Free #2: Shadowbane
2007-02-18 07:06:01
You may remember Everquest, which is now celebrating it’s 8th birthday by releasing a 13th expansion pack. And you’re certainly aware of the ever-growing tendrils that the World of Warcraft curls around its 8 million players. Massively Multiplayer Online RPG’s (MMORPGs, in one of the most annoying acronyms to come out of the last decade) are a big business and if you’re interested in gaming, it’s a facet that you should definitely explore. Of course, another thing that these games almost universally have in common is a monthly fee. That does not fit the theme of this series. However, Shadow bane does fit.
More About: Gaming , Free , Bane , Ming

OgMog Review: TIM & ERIC and SAUL OF THE MOLE MEN
2007-02-17 19:05:02
Well, Adult Swim’s been in the news quite a bit recently, what with the ATHF bomb mishap…but what about the two new shows they debuted a week ago? Why is it they seemed to quietly sneak under the review radar? Are they worth watching? Let’s find out. Review s after the jump.
More About: Men , View , Mole , The Mole

Freedom Fridays: Your Week in Free Culture News
2007-02-17 19:05:02
Every Friday we talk about freedom in terms of digital rights and copyright - things that deal with how we create and consume content in a digital world. This is important, incredibly so, and will only continue to be more important in the coming years. This aside, its important to remember the necessity of freedoms in all spheres of life. As such, this week’s post won’t focus on how we’re all getting screwed by DRM or how bad corporate abuse has become, but rather on the interesting story of the recently ’self-outed’ ex-NBA basketball player, John Amaechi. Free Cult ure means promoting a culture where freedom of expression is stifled by any means, be that creative, technological, or in Amaechi’s case, in feeling comfortable with the openness of one’s sexual preference. Amaechi, A British citizen, played basketball in the NBA for a few seasons, moving between the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic, the Utah Jazz, and finally the Houston Ro...
More About: News , Freedom

Roto-Rooter Sponsors No-Joke Pimped Out Toilet Contest
2007-02-17 19:05:02
The press release reads somewhat like an article from The Onion, but I assure you this is the real deal. According to Roto -Rooter, the average person spends 11,862 hours in the bathroom during their lifetime. The “Pimp ed Out John” sweepstakes (launched on Thomas Crapper Day, again, no joke), is hoping to increase that number tenfold. Check out the contest here.  It’s pretty ridiculous - I mean, the picture at right is ridiculous itself.   Here’s an excerpt from their mission statement, it’s a little out there - but some oddly makes sense: After all, what is a toilet? A private seat of power, a place to escape and experience a few stolen moments of pure solitude. It should be the most wonderful location in your home, but unfortunately, most toilets are bland and boring.
More About: Contest , Joke , Sponsors

Revival Tent: Swingers and Donnie Darko
2007-02-17 19:05:02
SWINGERS - This flick about getting over heartbreak and being cool in the process is a modern classic. This semi-autobiographical tale of Jon Favreau’s repeated attempts to get over his ex-girlfriend is equally hilarious and heartbreaking. Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston are unbelievably real and present as his best friends. This flick oozes cool, and it’s showing at the Aero on Saturday. It’s the second feature on a double bill with MADE (the unofficial sequel to SWINGERS), which begins at 7:30. Tickets are $10. This flick is more enjoyable while drunk. DONNIE DARKO: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT - An interesting take on high school time travel, DARKO is a massive headtrip involving time displacement, a talking bunny, and a massive airline disaster. Worth it for the mindjazz, the director’s cut features twenty additional minutes of footage and a revamped soundtrack. DARKO plays at the Rialto, Saturday at midnight. This flick is more enjoyable while high.
More About: Dark , Wing , Swing , Donnie Darko , Swingers

Bridge to Terabithia and The Braff Pack
2007-02-16 07:04:01
I was lucky enough to see BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA before Disney began their $35 million advertising assault. The flick is a decent adaptation of the ‘78 children’s book, telling the story of two outcast pre-teens who become friends and crown themselves king and queen of an imaginary kingdom. It sounds a bit dumb, but the book and movie are more about their friendship than the imaginary land of Tera bithia. If you watched the trailer, though, you’d think that this was a goddamn kids’ version of PAN’S LABYRINTH. The trailer is full of fairies and monsters and ogres and castles, but the movie’s got, maybe, twenty minutes of that stuff. Tops. This Hollywood epidemic - deceptive trailers - has really pissed me off over the years. From now on, any film that releases a misleading trailer will join “The Braff Pack ” - an ode to the horribly misleading GARDEN STATE trailer. The Braff Pack is populated by dangerous films that seek to seduce your easi...
More About: Bridge to Terabithia , Ridge , Bridge

Two-Face cast in BATMAN BEGINS sequel
2007-02-16 01:03:02
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Eckhart has been cast in the role of Harvey Dent (AKA the schizo coin-flipping baddie Two-Face ) in Christopher Nolan’s BATMAN BEGINS sequel, THE DARK KNIGHT. This marks the second villain cast alongside Heath Ledger as the only legit acting I’ve seen him do was pretty understated. But after reading an interview with him about tackling the character, I’m confident that he can pull it off, especially in the gritty, realistic Beginsiverse. Eckhart’s casting sits well on a more immediate basis. For the unfamiliar, you probably saw him most recently in last year’s acclaimed THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, in which he played the lead role of Nick Naylor, defender of the Tobacco industry. I thought he did a great job, and definitely can see why Nolan would choose him to play the corrupt District Attorney-turned-costumed criminal in THE DARK KNIGHT. It’s also no surprise that both Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart are Oscar ...
More About: Batman , Cast , Sequel , Batman Begins

The Dangerous Mind of Mencia
2007-02-16 01:03:02
I have very few nice things to say about Carlos Men cia. He has his own television show. There, that’s about the only nice thing I could think of, and that’s more of a fact than an opinion. I’ll try again: Carlos Mencia does not look like he might murder an orphan. That’s a pretty nice thing, right? Why the disdain for a “critically-acclaimed comedian“? The majority of his humor comes from racial stereotypes that a) are racist, and b) have been around since the dawn of time. So, I view him as an unoriginal racist. You might like him, that’s your call. Anyway, based on my dislike for Mencia, I found the following sketch from The Post Show, pretty funny. It’s not the best sketch in the world (it goes for too many jokes, instead of just ripping into Mencia), but it certainly says what I was thinking. (via dead-frog)
More About: Mind , Anger , Danger , The D

Digg Labs presents BigSpy
2007-02-16 01:03:02
If you haven’t been over to digg labs lately, I suggest you make a trip. The user driven social content website has a couple of really cool infographics that visualize digg content in different ways. The newest kid on the block is BigSpy, a text visualization that places newly dugg stories at the top, bumping older stories down the list (with a great ripple effect).  The size of the text relates to the number of diggs. (via webware.com) 
More About: Presents , Digg , Labs , Present , Resent

Yo Gabba Gabba!
2007-02-16 01:03:02
YO GABBA GABBA!, a wacky variety show that combines live-action elements with puppets and animation, has been picked up by Nick Jr. for twenty half-hour episodes after becoming a viral hit on the internet last summer. What really excites me about the project is the unique vision these guys seem to have. This isn’t just another SESAME STREET rip-off - if anything, it’s more of a spiritual successor. YO GABBA GABBA!’s got a bold and dynamic energy, a fresh take on the genre, and an adorably catchy theme song. If this is the future of children’s television, then I like what I see. Despite being an avid Jim Henson fan, the lapse in quality and ingenuity between the original SESAME STREET and what airs today leaves much to be desired. What was once a groundbreaking show has become stale, so I’m glad someone’s picking up the creative slack in the children’s television department, and I can’t wait to see what a full episode looks like. Meanwh...
More About: Abba , Yo Gabba Gabba

The 2007 Futuresonic Festival
2007-02-15 07:01:02
If you enjoy the future, listening to psycho-babble music, and learning about recent new media mash ups, then you should check out this aural-telecom rave. It’s the Future sonic Fest ival for electronic music and art in Manchester, UK, from the 10-12 of May 2007. Now, before you pull out your glowsticks, start scamming xtc, and hugging strangers and shit, let me inform you that this place claims to be on the more intellectual side of things…
More About: Sonic , Futures

Peanut Butter Wolf Makes Valentine’s Day Livable
2007-02-15 07:01:02
I’m obviously not the first to say it (and undoubtedly won’t be the last) but Valenti ne ’s Day kind of sucks. If you don’t have a significant other to share it with, you feel lonely (and pathetic for feeling so). If you have someone to share the day with, any romancing feels cheap (and not in a good way). The central conundrum that develops then is what is a substance-loving (as in the opposite of Valentine’s day), artistically inclined, romantic to do on this February the 14th? Enter Peanut Butte r Wolf (a phenomenal hip-hop producer) and Stones Throw Records (his [adult swim] loving, progressively awesome, label). PB Wolf crafted a killer mix-tape that goes from smooth soul to funk and even flirts with the King of Pop, clocking in at just under 30 mins. Grab this mix and bring some substance back to a day that seems to suck the life out of you - it is as good as it sounds. Put it on for your loved-one, maybe bake some of these delicious cookies, and jus...
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What’s Funny about the US Senate?
2007-02-15 07:01:02
…Not Al Franken.  But the self-proclaimed “comedian” is running nonetheless. SNL alumnus, actor, and political activist Al Franken has just announced that he is running for US Senate from the state of Minnesota.  He, in true “Oh! Eight” fashion, has issued his announcement online. Stuff like this really makes you appreciate good speakers like Obama and McCain.  Franken is meandering, nasal, and at times outright annoying in that bad college thespian kind of way.  Check him out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh8LfGIM62 M
More About: Funny , Fun , What , Hat , About

LA 2.0: Cheap WiFi for all of Los Angeles by 2009
2007-02-14 19:00:02
Today, Los Angel es Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa announced a new “LA WiFi initiative” that will give cost-effective, high speed wireless internet connectivity to the greater Los Angeles area by the end of 2009. ?Today is the start of Los Angeles version 2.0,? Mayor Villaraigosa said. ?Today we announce our commitment to creating the single largest citywide wireless network in the country.? This isn’t quite as ground breaking as when Google gave 50 sq mi of San Francisco free WiFi, nor is it a novel city planning idea. Around the country, select cities have adopted this ideal with much success.
More About: Wifi , Cheap , La 2

Fans of Watchmen Must Watch 300
2007-02-14 19:00:02
I don’t like to measure films by their box office success… …But the fate of the superhero genre depends on 300 being a commercial success. 300 is directed by Zack Snyder, who is currently attached to direct WATCHMEN - one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. In recent interviews, Snyder has said that his artistic license and WATCHMEN’s budget depend on 300’s box office. WATCHMEN, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, tells the story of a group of superheroes who live in a world that has forgotten them. They struggle not only to find meaning in their post-crimebusting lives, but also to stay alive when several start turning up dead. I’d sum up WATCHMEN as JUSTICE LEAGUE meets CASABLANCA, but summing up WATCHMEN is like writing a book report about the Bible. A quality WATCHMEN adaptation could show the studio bigwigs that audiences need more than just costumes and theme songs. (More after the jump.)
More About: Watch , Fans , Men , Watchmen , Must

Bugmenot: Free Passwords
2007-02-14 19:00:02
We’ve all been there. Someone (be they friend, family, or foe) sends us an article that we are sure to love yet unable to access without a customary ‘free registration’. It’s conveniently located on-line, but inconveniently not without relinquishing our e-mail address, home address, phone number, first-born child, etc. Enter Bugmenot.com (forgive me if you are already aware of its wonderful abilities). Bugmenot has a collected database of user names and passwords to a plethora of ‘free registration’ sites. No longer will you need to wade through endless user agreements and tedious forms, just head straight to the relevant content. It won’t get you in to David Lynch’s Online Community (which requires a monthly subscription), but it’ll sure save your inbox from useless e-mails.
More About: Word , Men , Free , Words , Password

Human Giant: Illusionators Preview
2007-02-14 19:00:02
Sketch comedy group Human Giant has released a teaser clip of their sketch “Illusion ators” from their upcoming MTV show. Check it out: If you like what you see, Human Giant is performing at the UCB theatre in LA this Thursday at 11pm. Tickets are $5, and you can make reservations here. I caught their show a few weeks ago, and it was fantastic. Read Cobbler’s review here. Human Giant’s show on MTV will premiere “sometime in early 2007.” The troupe is Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer. Jason Woliner directs. Want more? There’s a great interview with Aziz over at Pitchfork.
More About: Preview , Review , View