Thursday. The 29^th of November. 2007. The strike was entering its twenty-fourth day and eyes on both coasts were glued to BlackBerrys, televisions, and old fashioned computer screens despite the early hour. Rumors had been running rampant on the internet for the past few days. One rumor said that the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) was bringing a deal in good faith to the table. Another said that nearly half of the showrunners, industry terminology for the behind-the-scenes folks responsible for the actual production of films and movies, had returned to work in expectation of the end of the strike. It was all rumor and guessing at this point. There was a media blackout in effect.

The media blackout left the roughly 12,000 film and television writers collectively known as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) wondering. They were left to wonder about when they put down their picket signs and return to work. They were left to wonder why they were treated differently than book writers and song writers when their materials were reproduced. And they were forced to wonder about the sudden slew of organized labor terms that suddenly had to be learned.

As with most disagreements, the origins of the 2007 WGA Strike are a bit hard to determine. Originally, television writers received no royalties from the shows which they worked on. Through the power of collective bargaining, that changed in 1949. The unions of writers began down a path to develop a contract that protected their creative rights, as well as protecting them later in life. Through several years of bargaining, a contract that technically leased a script to producers, rather than selling it to them, was developed. This meant that writers would receive royalties valued at a percentage of the original lease price. The contract was signed in 1953.

The idea to have one union to represent all writers for the three mediums of the day (radio, film, and television) was suggested in 1954 by the Screen Writers Guild. 1955 saw the dawn of the new union, the Writers Guild of America, and its talks with the three major television networks. The very first contract that the WGA signed included royalty rates for reuse of television shows, commonly known as the “rerun” as well as leaving all rights to the episode with the author. The contract was signed in 1956 and was a watershed point: television writers would now get paid for their work when it was re-aired.

In the 1980s, the AMPTP and WGA were once again in negotiation. This time, the AMPTP had to deal with a new medium, that of the home video market. Today, in 2007, it’s hard to understand that at one point, a household lived without as much as a VCR, but in the early 1980s, this was the case. The home video market was a precarious one, with the cost of hardware paired with the process of porting films to tape made the game expensive for everyone, consumer and producer alike. In order to help alleviate the risk on the studios’ part, the WGA agreed to take a massive pay cut on their residuals, falling to a reported 0.36% of the studio’s profits, with the agreement that one the market stabilized, the residuals would be returned to their pre-cut rates.

Two decades later, the rates have yet to return to their precut levels. The current residual that a writer earns on a DVD sale is a meager 1.5% on DVDs that return less than $5 million and 1.8% on those that return more. These percents usually work out to $0.04 per sold DVD according to the WGA, or $0.06 each according to the AMPTP. What the WGA would like is an increase to about $0.08 per sold disc. And they also do not want to make the same mistakes that were made in the 1980. Yes, again the AMPTP has a new distribution medium on their hands that is currently in its infancy – the internet.

Under the current contract, writers receive less than a penny (.6 cents) on a television show purchased from iTunes, current DVD rates on downloaded movies, and no money whatsoever on television and movies that are streamed over the internet, regardless of the money that the studios themselves make. The rub here is that, compared with the production and sale of DVDs, providing films and television shows over the internet has little-to-no overhead. This means that the studios are making a substantially greater profit thanks to removing several paid steps from the profit.

The AMPTP strategy seems to be two-fold. The first is to claim that the new market is untested, and that they have no idea how much money the future market holds. The second is to mark certain online distribution methods as promotional, and thus skirt any legal need to pay the writers, directors, actors, and industry people who participated in creating the film or episode. And the real rub? The studios are free to slap the “promotional label” on any online materials that they choose, regardless of on page, or in product advertising.

For television, the situation is only getting worse. A handful of the network flagship primetime shows, Lost and 24 in particular, are set to be aired without rerun in their upcoming seasons. However, these shows will be available on the internet, usually the following day. The math behind this move is quite simple for the writers – they lose roughly $20,000. The amount that the studio makes depends on the amount of advertising placed into the online program, and available on the page, but the current rate for writers is an established $0.00.

And this is only the dawn of the internet age when it comes to big content like television and films. The future undoubtedly holds the internet as a far more prominent tool for distribution, one which could potentially challenge cable, satellite, and over-the-air transmissions as data pipelines increase in capacity and televisions find themselves connected to the greater digital network. The writers see this. The producers see this. The writers only wish to be paid fairly for the work they produced.

The blackout lifted towards the afternoon on Thursday, the 29^th of November, 2007, and the light shown on to show that writers would not be returning to work anytime soon. The Pencils Down Means Pencils Down campaign was set to continue. The offer that the AMPTP had brought to the table was not one of good faith, but was actually one that took certain rights away from writers. In the parlance of organized labor, the offer was a roll back. The meeting would break for the weekend, with both parties returning to the table on Tuesday, the 4^th of December. The two presidents of the WGA (East and West) were not confident that Tuesdays talks would yield any results. The strike, which could have ended after only a month, was suddenly set to stretch on for much longer.

It’s no secret that subter is siding with the writers in this strike. Despite the fact that none of the staff are WGA members, we are siding with our fellow writers in the belief that a writer should be fairly paid for their work. To that end, we’re displaying our support for the WGA, and doing what we can to spread the message. To the right of this, and every subter and Shots article, there is a WGA support banner, the code for which you can find at the bottom of this article. Shots will also keep up with the strike.

Joss Whedon - the man behind Buffy and Firefly, gets vocal about the strike- “It’s always hard. Not just dealing with obtuse, intrusive studio execs, temperamental stars and family-prohibiting hours. Those are producer issues as much as anything else. Not just trying to get your first script sold, or seen, or finished, when nobody around believes you can/will/should… the ACT of writing is hard.” More.

Brian K. Vaughn - comic writer and scribe on Lost - “But basically, writers are looking to negotiate modest residuals and protections for use of our TV shows and movies on the internet, where most of us will likely be getting the majority of our entertainment from in the not-too-distant future.” More.

UnitedHollywood.com - the source for strike news

WGA.org - Writer’s Guild Offical Page

WGA.org Strike Home - Official Strike Page

HuffingtonPost - extensive writer’s strike news

Cut and paste the following to display the support link: <a href=”http://www.wga.org”> <img src= “http://www.wga.org/contract_07/supportwriters.gif” border=”0″ /></a>

Title image by ArminH

In 1999 Jimmy Wales, a self-described ‘anti-credentialist’ who’d made his fortune as an options trader, set out to reinvent the way people learned about the world around them. He launched a peer reviewed, online encyclopedia, that could be accessed at no cost to the user. But the site, Nupedia, struggled from the start. Looking for a way to speed things up the decision was made to create an open source process that would allow anyone to contribute materials for the site. These would then be subject to the site’s planned peer review process. To do this they borrowed an idea developed in 1994 by Ward Cunningham. He created the first wiki as an open source program that would allow a community of people to quickly edit, and collaborate on, shared materials. He got the name from the Hawaiian word wikiwiki, meaning quick. Taping into peoples’ willingness to contribute their ideas and opinions, Wikipedia could not have been better named. Started in 2001, it has quickly grown to contain millions of articles in over two hundred languages. When Nupedia was put ‘on hold’ it had only twenty four completed articles, with another seventy four in development.

With this rapid growth has come some embarrassing moments. A contributor, now described as a ‘vandal’, edited American journalist John Seigenthaler’s entry in order to implicate him in both Kennedy assassinations. One site editor, who claimed to be a professor of religion, was revealed as a 24 year old student who used such sources as the ‘… for Dummies’ series to mediate disputes. And in France a contributor revealed the homosexuality of three people in an entry, prompting a law suit for what the claimants felt was an invasion of privacy. In the first two cases, the site acted quickly, correcting Seigenthaler’s entry and getting rid of the editor. It won the French case. Because Wikipedia is a web host, and not a publisher, it cannot be held legally responsible for what is posted on its site. A protection it enjoys on both sides of the Atlantic.

Incidents like these seem to lend credence to critics of the site’s open nature. If any idiot can contribute, doesn’t that mean any idiot will? Wikipedia counters that the site’s reliance on its members to catch and correct errors actually works. And in these high profile cases that’s true. But corporations, Congressmen, and even an MTV celebrity have been caught altering their entries in order to put their own spin on things, and, while high profile errors do get a quick response, most mistakes don’t make headlines. One of my coworkers discovered that her grandfather, the first Director-General of the World Health Organization, had died in a plane crash. At least, according to Wikipedia. In fact he died in his seventies, after suffering a series of strokes. The entry was corrected, but only because my coworker took the initiative herself.

Questions about the site’s reliability have prompted studies, including a well reported one by Nature, the British academic journal. It compared the science entries in Wikipedia to those available on Encyclopia Britannica’s website. It did find more errors, including spelling mistakes, on Wikipedia, but concluded that the two sites were generally comparable. Britannica strongly denounced that conclusion and went as far as to demand the study be retracted. It was not.

In part criticisms of Wikipedia reflect a more generalized cynicism towards the internet. The site’s anti-credentialist credo is common online, with countless blogs and webzines sprouting up seemingly continuously, but it flies in the face of over a century of our society being taught that degrees and certification are everything. You must finish high school. You must go to college, university, grad school — in spite of the fact the most graduates never use their degrees in their future employment. Where I live there is even a ‘food safe’ program many that restaurants require certification from just to get a job washing dishes. To suddenly discover there are millions who don’t care whether someone has a series of letters behind their name has come as a deep, deep shock for many. Unfortunately, many of them confuse their cynicism, an attitude of distrust, for a healthier skepticism, a willingness to question, and focus their cynicism on either the site or the medium, instead of developing a willingness to question sources of all kinds. This problem is reinforced on another level by the high degree of niche marketing that goes on in all media, on and offline. People surround themselves with sources that reinforce their own biases and never learn to communicate with people with different ideas. They distrust and dismiss things they don’t want to hear.

What users and critics need to keep in mind is that Wikipedia is only an encyclopedia. It is intended as a resource for general readers and not as the final word, or as a primary source for academics. In fact, the very logic of its operations shies away from controversy. This is a facet of the Wikipedia experience that gets very little mention, but in its operations peer review has been replaced by consensus. These are not the same thing. Peer review requires that you defend your position; consensus is satisfied if you do not offend. If you take the time to read non-fiction, even newspapers, it won’t be long before you discover errors or opinions passed off as facts. The Encyclopedia Britannica, for all its contempt for its online competitor, has admitted to its own problems in dealing with errors — an admission that can be found in the Wikipedia entry on Britannica, which quotes three separate editors conceding the issue. The very first editor said, ‘Men who are acquainted with the innumerable difficulties of attending the execution of a work of such an extensive nature will make proper allowances.’ If Wikipedia has its share of difficulties, it can do better than ask for allowances. It gives you the opportunity to solve those difficulties. Then we are left with the choice of complaining or acting.

*****

In researching for this article I came across this site, WikipediaVision. It pinpoints “Anonymous edits to Wikipedia (almost) in real-time.”

This year has been a great year for me and music. After not getting out much to see live music for a while, I’ve really made an effort to get off my duff and out on the town. It has been worth it! I’ve seen music at festivals, in a few Seattle clubs, and we even have a new spot here in my town that is bringing in some good bands. The music has covered the spectrum from undiscovered local bands like the Archives to bigger names like Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Michelle Shocked. I saw old favorites for the first time, like Reverend Horton Heat and the English Beat. There were new favorites too, like DeVotchKa and Ghostland Observatory.

Two bands that I saw earlier in the year at the Sasquatch Festival made their way to my neck of the woods in November, and they were both must-see shows for me. Early in the month I caught The Hold Steady, and later I saw Ozomatli – what a great way to begin the festive season!

Horrible venue…great music!

The Hold Steady with Art Brut

University of Washington HUB Ballroom – Seattle, Washington

I’ve seen several shows at the HUB Ballroom – Thomas Dolby, Los Lobos, and the Ramones (who cut their show short after somebody hit Dee Dee Ramone with a shoe – twice). But I never realized what a crummy place it is to see live music until now. Perhaps I’m a little more discriminating now that I’m older, or maybe I just didn’t notice before. Either way, the high ceiling doesn’t exactly do wonders for the sound, and the fluorescent lights hanging above don’t exactly impart a sense of excitement to the evening. Of course the lights were off for the show, but the place really had sort of an…institutional feel.

We were expecting a drunken college boy sort of crowd for the show, but it turned out not to be the case. In fact, it was almost as if a large portion of the crowd was in some sort of a daze – dare I say – coma?! I’m willing to allow for the fact that The Hold Steady tends to attract a particular audience of men in their thirties and forties, and the women they dragged along to the show might not have been too enthusiastic. I’m also willing to allow for the fact that it seems to help to be familiar with their music, and people sometimes have difficulty with their music if they haven’t seen them live before, so if this was the first time they had seen them…maybe that’s why they were comatose. It was a little disconcerting, to say the least, but no matter – it turned out to be a fantastic show anyways.

Opening for The Hold Steady was Art Brut, whom I had heard put on one of the best shows at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle in September. I went into the show with a complete blank slate – didn’t even try to find any of their music before going. Sometimes I like to hear things completely unbiased, and just see how I like it. This time, I loved it! Art Brut is from England, and the lead singer Eddie has one of those great accents where words come out sounding Bri-ish. Their set was energetic, and Eddie started off quite a few of the songs with a nice kick – much like the kick of their music. We spoke with him briefly after the show, and he apologized for the fact he was cranky for the first three quarters of the show. Could have fooled me! It turned out that I had heard one of their songs on the radio – the very last song of their show, “Good Weekend.” I had liked it when I heard it, and was excited when I recognized it. I even remembered exactly where I was sitting in traffic when I heard it. Ha!

The Hold Steady finally came out, and despite the less than enthusiastic audience and lack of alcohol priming the crowd (and the band) they put on a stellar show. The band played a nice mix of new and old tunes – I’m not always good at remembering the names of songs even when I’ve heard them again and again. They didn’t play “Cattle and the Creeping Things” which is a song I particularly like, but they did play “Chips Ahoy,” and “You Can Make Him Like You,” among others. I’ve tried to describe their music to people, but always seem to fall short. The songs tell stories, and some of the characters turn up again and again…and they’re kind of like Bruce Springsteen, but maybe it’s just the keyboards that make it seem that way. Anyhow, you either love them or hate them – and there were a few people in the crowd who loved them very much. One of the best things about The Hold Steady is their appreciation for the audience, even if the audience isn’t showing full appreciation back. I’m sure it’s not like that at most of their shows.

Maybe it was just the venue…

Great venue – great music!

Ozomatli with SambaDá

Nightlight Lounge – Bellingham, Washington

On Sunday nights, I’m usually cozied up at home, relaxing before the work week starts again. I’m certainly not out late by myself, dancing the night away – unless Ozomatli comes to town!

Just last Sunday found me doing exactly that – venturing out on my own to hear a band that I had seen earlier in the year and liked very much. When I heard they were coming to Bellingham (closer even than Seattle), I decided to go, whether anybody else came along or not. They didn’t – but then, I didn’t ask anybody to come along. This evening was all mine.

The show was at the Nightlight Lounge, a far better venue than the HUB Ballroom. Two years ago I saw Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker play there, and had been very impressed at how nice the club was. It’s in the basement of a building, and seems deceptively small from outside. But inside there is plenty of room for people that want to dance, and people that just want to hang back with their friends. The stage is in one of the farthest corners, with walls of big sandstone bricks in back and to one side. The Nightlight has atmosphere! I also noticed right away how different the crowd was from other show – a lot of hippieish people, some college age but many were older. And everybody seemed alive!

The opening band was SambaDá, also from California (Ozomatli is from Los Angeles). The minute they began playing, people were up and dancing – no comatose behavior allowed! Their music proved to be an excellent warm-up for Ozomatli. Similar, yet not too much alike. SambaDá plays lively music that sounds Latin at times, African at others – definitely a world influence to their beat. Lead singer Dandha Da Hora danced wildly at times, her hair flying and silver jewelry sparkling brightly in the lights. A few members of Ozomatli, including Uli on the saxophone and Raul on guitar, joined SambaDá onstage for a few songs – which just excited the fans even more. SambaDá’s set flew by quickly, and was over before I knew it.

The crowd was eager for Ozomatli to begin playing, but waited patiently while the stage hands changed out equipment. Everyone was very friendly, and the overwhelming feel of the crowd was one of happiness. For my part, I was very excited, especially since I had staked out a good spot right next to the stage. I figure if I’m going to get out and hear some good music, the best bang for my buck is right in front!

And what a bang-up time it was! From the moment the nine members of Ozomatli came out and started playing to the very last note of the evening, it was non-stop dancing and excitement. Ozomatli’s blend of hip-hop and Latin style music inspires such energy in the fans – I can’t believe that anybody would be able to stand still. I will admit that I don’t know Spanish, so really, I haven’t got a clue what a lot of their songs are about. I do know that they’re happy songs, and I like to sing along…and dance – always dancing. They played many songs from their latest release, “Don’t Mess With The Dragon,” but also included plenty of older songs too – “Ya Viene El Sol,” “Chango,” and one of my favorites, “Believe,” were all on the set list (which, by the way, I managed to snag off of the monitor in front of me after the show).

As it happened, I was standing right in front of the horn section, and directly in front of Shef, the trombone player. Fortunately the stage was high enough and I didn’t have to duck to avoid the slide! It was a great place to be, to watch the action on stage, and really feel like I was a part of what was going on. Every one of the band members looked like they were having a good time, laughing and joking with each other between songs. To me, one of the things that makes a live performance even better is when I can tell the musicians are having a genuinely good time. The show ended with Ozomatli joined by the members of SambaDá for “Come Ves” followed by all of the musicians moving off of the stage and into the crowd for their traditional finale. By this time everyone was sweaty and happy – happier than when the evening began!

Needless to say, these two shows were an excellent way to round out a year of exceptional music. I’ve still got a month to go, and a couple of shows yet to attend, but they’ll be hard pressed to top these.

Happy holidays, and my your music be lively!

Resources

The Hold Steady

Art Brut

The Nightlight Lounge – Bellingham, Washington

Ozomatli

SambaDá

Title Photo by Marxus

Whilst the world was still coming to terms with the Burmese government’s brutal crackdown against the so-called Saffron Revolution, another protest movement met with official barbarism in Asia all through November. Pakistani President, and fond ally of America, Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency that led to violent clashed between protestors and the police, the house arrest of his rivals, a media clamp down and a purge of the judiciary. Once again this fragile state could easily slide into dictatorship.

For those acquainted with Pakistan this latest round of protests should not really come as a surprise. Since its formation in 1947 the country has been plagued by dissidents and weak governments. Created by a British civil servant drawing lines across the map (indeed, in their wisdom they chose a man who had never visited the Raj to divide it between India and Pakistan), national unity is an alien concept, a costly war was fought in 1972 which led to the severance of Bangladesh from the nation, and a number of separatist movements have been active since then, most notably the Balochs, who have demanded freedom for their homeland of Balochistan, a province which incorporates 42% of the nation. The pressures of this internal disunity have combined with a fear of neighbouring India, a fear that has threatened to plunge the world into a nuclear war, to undermine governments and build the political power of the army. Since the state’s inception only two democratically elected governments have served their full terms without being ousted by a military coup. Indeed it was such a coup in 1999 that brought Musharraf into power, with him appointing himself President in 2001.

It was with the 2007 elections however that the most recent problems started. In the build-up to the election a legal challenge was launched to prevent Musharraf from standing, although this was not immediately successful, the Supreme Court forbade the electoral Commission from declaring a result until after the appeal had been fully considered. This order was disregarded by the Commission and Musharraf was elected by a College boycotted by all major opposition members. In the wake of this verdict a number of legal challenges were launched. The Supreme Court decided to reconvene on November 5^th, ten days before the end of Musharraf’s Presidential tem, in order to consider these appeals. But at 6.10 local time on November 3^rd, the government called a state of emergency.

Although publicly the state of emergency was instigated as a response to perceived terrorist threats, it has been widely seen by analysts both inside and outside Pakistan as a measure designed to prevent the Court ruling against the government. Protestors took to the street, the majority lawyers and other members of the educated classes, to be met with a brutal government response. Amnesty International and international news agencies reported that peaceful protesters were beaten by the army and police, with thousands arrested under the terms of martial law. Two weeks after the protests began, around 3,000 protesters were released, a testament to the numbers arrested. In Karachi supporters of former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto exchanged gunfire, with two young boys being killed in the crossfire. The emergency decree was also used to crackdown on media outlets. Many national TV channels such as GEO TV and Aaj, who presented anti-Musharraf views were blocked on the grounds of “spreading discord”, BBC and CNN broadcasts were also restricted and three journalists from Britain’s Daily Telegraph were expelled from the country. But the most far-reaching consequence of the state of emergency seems to be the action taking against Pakistan’s lawyers and opposition leaders. Bhutto was placed under house arrest on November 8^th, the day before she was expected to attend and opposition rally, and although released on November 19^th the Pakistani press reports she has been threatened with prosecution for charges of corruption. Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan has been detained in prison, where he started a hunger strike in response, although he too was released. The Provisional Constitution Order that Musharraf passed following the declaration of emergency rule has been used, courtesy of a requirement that judges swear loyalty to Musharraf, to weed out judicial opposition, 12 Supreme Court judges refused to take the oath. The new Supreme Court has since threatened to withdraw the licences of any lawyer that does not recognise it, a move that aims to sway a legal profession that has been on strike since November 5^th, and has formed a large part of the opposition.

The international community has reacted with scorn towards Musharraf’s actions, but the president’s willingness to support the war on terror has limited their actions. The US government despatched John Negroponte to meet with Musharraf, calling for an end to emergency rule and the release of prisoners, however the close alliance between the United States and Pakistan means that the US is shying away from being overly critical, although president Bush is said to have had a “frank” conversation with the Pakistani president. Indeed, Musharraf’s aids have claimed that the US and Britain had advanced warning of the declaration of emergency. The Commonwealth has taken a firmer stance, suspending Pakistan’s membership in response. The Netherlands have also followed this stance freezing aid to Musharraf’s government, whilst other European countries have voiced doubts about continuing joint projects with Pakistan.

But we must be careful not to over stress this crisis. As I mentioned earlier, Pakistan has been no stranger to civil strife and more often than not some form of civilian government has soon returned. Musharraf still seems committed to hold the parliamentary elections that have been scheduled for January, although initially delayed indefinitely, he has taken steps to reinstate them. Furthermore, despite most polls indicating a majority of people want Musharraf to sep down as president, protests (and hence recriminations) have been limited to the urban middle classes, widespread violence has not been reported. Indeed in some ways Musharraf’s dictatorship is preferable to an inefficient democracy, his presidency has seen much growth in the Pakistani economy, and a reduction in the widespread corruption seen in the previous civilian governments. However, it cannot be denied that if this state of emergency continues, and democracy is further contained in Pakistan then the ramifications, both from a political and human rights point of view, could be very dangerous. Unless Pakistan is able to rescue itself from political instability the weak state will prevail, inviting more and more military coups. In turn this increased authoritarianism could, as a worst-case scenario, lead to rise of Islamic extremism and even civil war. But for the time being, we must simply keep our eyes on Musharraf and see what will develop.

The turkey is gone, the X-Mas tree is going up, and shoppers are flooding the stores in search of the gifts that will light up the eyes of their loved ones. But what to get the guy in your life? Sure, you can get him that table saw he’s been looking at, or you can get him something that won’t involve a trip to the emergency room to reattach his fingers. Here are a few of the more popular X-Mas presents that you can get for your guy at your local technology store.

Music
While there are plenty of mp3 players out there, when it really comes down to it there are only two options that you should be considering (not speaking of phones that play music – that will be later in our broadcast). The iPod Touch and the Microsoft Zune 2.0. While Apple certainly has the market cornered on the portable digital music player, Microsoft is making a play with their latest installment of the Zune mp3 player.

Whereas the iPod Touch has all of the fun features of the iPhone without the actual phone part, the Zune is more akin to a classic iPod with elements of the iTouch thrown in to make it competitive. I haven’t had much chance to play with either, but from what I’ve noticed, the iPod Touch is far and away going to be the better mp3 this year. That said, I look forward to the Zune’s next model if they can integrate the wi-fi and downloadable services like the iPod Touch has. The only thing that makes the Touch prohibitive is the $299.99 price tag for just the 8GB model, never mind the larger 16GB. If money is not object get your guy the iPod Touch, but trust me when I say he won’t be disappointed in a Zune with its $199.99 price tag.

Phones

There are only two phones that need to be mentioned here, and again Apple is in the mix. The iPhone was arguably the most highly touted piece of personal technology to come along in a while, but with it only being available on AT&T, many were turned off. Enter the Verizon Voyager. Featuring many of the same features, and a few that the iPhone doesn’t, the Voyager is arguably the first phone to come along that poses an actual chance of standing up to the iPhone.

I haven’t had a chance to toy around with the Voyager yet, but all of the specs I’ve read make it sound quite impressive, and it should certainly be on the wish list of any Verizon customer that liked the iPhone but didn’t want to switch to AT&T. That said, you’re not attached to your network, nothing can really touch the iPhone, especially now that they’re opening it up to more third party software options.

Games

The Wii is still the hottest selling game system on the market, hard to find even a year after first launching. With its blend of intuitive controls, family friendly games, and ability to download classic Nintendo games, it’s a can’t miss for the casual gamer that’s looking for something the entire family can enjoy.

On the other hand you have the PS3 which until recently was seriously lacking in games (and really will be until the next Metal Gear Solid game comes out), but still offered itself up as a Blu-Ray player coupled with a state of the art game system. The decision between Wii and PS3 really comes down to two things – cost and commitment. If you’re buying this system for a hardcore gamer and cost is no issue, go with the PS3 as he’ll be happier in the long run. If money is an issue, or the person you’re buying it for isn’t a hardcore gamer and just wants something to pass the time with, the Wii is the answer for you. At a much more affordable price point, and with games that you can enjoy with him, the Wii is easily the best family entertainment to come along in a while.

Everything Else

There are lots of other gifts that every guy out there would love to have, but these are a few others that caught my eye:

GPS – Every guy hates to admit he’s lost, but with the TomTom ONE LE GPS you can make sure that he won’t have to stop for directions and that you’ll still get where you’re going. $149.99 - $249.99

HD/DVD – Since everything is going HD anyways, there’s no reason not to buy a HD/DVD player. The Toshiba I saw at Best Buy was running around $399.99, but there are lots of specials running this time of year on them, so shop around before buying one.

Digital Cameras – No matter how many years it’s been since digital cameras became affordable, they’re still a safe present to give a guy. The Canon Powershot 7.1 MP Digital ELPH is a great choice for both quality and size. With 3x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom and a 3″ TFT-LCD screen it will provide great pictures without requiring a huge carry case to get it from point A to point B. $249.99

These are just a few of the things that I know I would like for X-Mas this year, but this is certainly not a comprehensive list. Ask him what he wants, shop around, and ask the guy at the your local store what’s selling really well. Hell, ask him what he wants for X-Mas as it’s probably the same thing your guy would want.

by George R. Perry

Thanksgiving is finally over with and as the temperature continues to drop (where’s global warming now, Al Gore?), the holiday shopping season has begun which can mean only one thing – X-Mas will soon be here. (Writer’s Note: For the purpose of this column I shall be referring to the season previously known as “Christmas” as “X-Mas” so that I don’t offend Santa Claws. If you get that reference then have yourself a drink and be proud of yourself.)

With the mad dash to get the best presents, see the family, and serve the most complete X-Mas dinner, the need to sit back, relax, and get good and drunk is often overlooked, and that’s a tragedy. Nothing brings out the X-Mas spirit more than drinking to excess, making an inappropriate comment around the family, and being generally ostracized until next X-Mas season. Lucky for you I’ve got a couple of X-Mas inspired drinks that are sure to get you good and drunk before dinner is ever served.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a bad habit of humming “White X-Mas” this time of year. It’s not because I’m particularly festive, or that I even know all the words – it just happens.

With that in mind, if you’re like me and start humming the song, drinking a White X-Mas Dream cocktail is sure to have the tune itself fuzzy in no time. A quick mixture of amaretto, vodka, and heavy cream will have you decking the halls, and maybe your brother-in-law, in no time.
While more than one office X-Mas party has dissolved into drunken debauchery, nothing gets people that hardly know each other to engage of acts of high school-esque intimacy quite like mistletoe. Sure, it’s a highly poisonous plant that shouldn’t be ingested in any way, shape, or fashion, but hung from the ceiling, it’s a green light to make out with that cutie from accounts receivable you’ve had your eye on. To help get her under the sprig of mistletoe, give her a mistletoe shot. Layer Chambord, midori, and gran marnier in a shot glass and you’ll be hanging mistletoe from more than just the door.

We’ve all read Dr. Seuss, and we all know the story of how the Grinch stole X-Mas. Fortunately, with my Grinch cocktail, instead of stealing X-Mas, you’re far more likely to give away all of your money in the hopes that it will absolve you for making out with the girl from accounts receivable while your wife and kids sat at home. Mix midori, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup and while your heart won’t grow three sizes, your liver just might.

Finally, any discussion of the X-Mas season inevitably ends with people wishing each other a happy new year. When the ball drops and you’re toasting friends, it helps to have something memorable to say. Here are a few of the better New Year’s Toasts that I’ve come around courtesy of some far more eloquent authors than myself.

“Here’s a toast to the future, A toast to the past, And a toast to our friends, far and near. May the future be pleasant; the past a bright dream; May our friends remain faithful and dear.” – Anonymous

“In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.” – Traditional Irish Toast

“Stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year, everybody.” – Phyllis McGinley.

Recipes:

The Grinch
2 oz Midori
½ oz lemon juice (fresh)
1 tsp simple syrup
-Shake and strain into a martini glass, garnish with a cherry

White X-Mas Dream
1 oz amaretto
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz vodka
-Shake and strain into a martini glass, garnish with nutmeg on top

Mistletoe Shot
½ oz Chambord
½ oz Midori
½ oz Gran Marnier
-layer the liquers in order (chambord on bottom, then midori, then gran marnier), light the top layer on fire, blow out, and enjoy.

by Mike Mumah and P. Bradley Robb

For an end of the year entry, there seems to be a vacuum in the holiday films. The closing month of the year has become an oasis for summer films that couldn’t be completed or didn’t wish to compete with the other mega-blockbusters that released between May and August. Let us now speculate upon these films, and then wipe.

The Golden Compass

BRADLEY: The Golden Compass, the first film from a trilogy of children’s books, that blends fantasy and technology into a quasi steam-punk future, stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, and is markedly anti-Catholic? Nothing like starting off the month of December with a shot across organized religion’s bow.

MUMAH: I was actually looking forward to this flick quite a bit before I heard about the author’s atheistic leanings. Now I fully support this film and recommend all viewers to throw as much of their hard-earned money to get that damned Catholic league to shut the fuck up. It’s time for a new lobby, dammit. Oh yeah, and Daniel Craig is a bad ass.

The Perfect Holiday

BRADLEY: Now, I’ve always had a thing for Gabrielle Union, but as strong as I feel about her, she’s not going to drag me out to see this film unless she knocks on my door and escorts me herself. I mean, I could barely stomach these ensemble cast holiday “True Spirit of Christmas” films when I was a kid and everything was shiny, and Santa was real. Now I’m old, everything is rather dull, and Santa is ringing a bell and begging for change.

MUMAH: Santa’s not real?

BRADLEY: Yeah, you keep confusing him with that other guy in red and black who laughs a lot. You know, Satan.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

BRADLEY: Ah, a film that needs no introduction, and in turn, no viewing. Following on the heels of Underdog, Jason Lee proves that having kids (even with crazy names) can turn anyone who was at the top of the geekshiek game into the kind of person he used to make fun of. It didn’t work with Garfield. It didn’t work with Fat Albert. It has never worked. When will Hollywood stop cannibalizing other genres with the explicit intent of making them worse?

MUMAH: At least with Scooby Doo they had enough sense to put Sarah Michelle Gellar in a miniskirt. And I’ve always hated these damned chipmunks. They make me want to cut myself while watching Ishtar.

I Am Legend

BRADLEY: Now that I’ve been worked up into an adequate level of anger, we get to I Am Legend. As I’m sure my astute über-nerd associate here can tell you. I Am Legend comes from the land of books with pictures. The plot is a blend of several familiar themes, the last man alive, zombies (technically the infected), biological terror, and Will Smith movies. On the outside, the film looks very familiar, almost clichéd, but it also looks like a promising, enjoyable film.

MUMAH: This flick also comes from the books with letters in them as well. You can also go back to the seventies and find a similar film called “Omega Man” which stars none other than Charleton Heston and plenty of blaxpoitation. This is my geek pick of the month, though my wife is afraid the dog will die, therefore she won’t watch. Also, I heard a rumor there may be a sneak peek at a certain Batmovie that releases this summer…

BRADLEY: I forgot, Mumah has a hardon for Christian Bale. I hear the new Batsuit has nipples.

The Kite Runner

BRADLEY: I am saddened to say, the American people are not ready for this film. Saddened because this film isn’t that difficult to understand, and saddened because I have a feeling that in the wrong hands this film could easily become propaganda. The Kite Runner is billed as a story of betrayal and forgiveness (hopefully…) and taken from the hit novel of the same name. The story seems to revolve around a boy who’s family fled Afghanistan during the Taliban uprising and in doing so, caused a bit of terror for a friend. Hopefully the film will provide insight into the Afghani culture and won’t simply be waved as a “This is why we’re trying to help them” flag.

MUMAH: Needs boobies. Boobies grab the attention, and THEN you smack ‘em with the message.

BRADLEY: I thought it was “Phase 1, collect underpants. Phase 2… Phase 3, profit!”.

Look

BRADLEY: Ah, if only Americans knew how much we were filmed. Here we have a typical quasi-literary ensemble piece, interweaving plot lines of honest people trying to make good with their lives. This film’s twist is that it’s all shot from the perspective of security cameras. While it’s a good concept, here’s a better one: In the face of a nation of cameras and a rash of intellectual property rights, a small-time conman copyrights his own image and then proceeds to sue every security camera that captures his image for “Unauthorized reproduction of a copyrighted work.” Hey Hollywood, cut me a check for that one.

MUMAH: It should be titled, “YouTube, the Movie.” Copyright Mike Mumah and Bradley Robb.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

BRADLEY: I hate Nicolas Cage in 99% of his films. The lone standout…was the first film in this series. I hoped I would never have to own up to this here, but I actually, honestly enjoyed the first film. A lot like the Mummy before it, the first National Treasure was a fun, reasonably welldone, action adventure romp. It wasn’t gory, it wasn’t brainy, and it didn’t try to appeal to everyone. The film had one goal, fun conspiracies, and it succeeded. I plan on seeing this film. You may now pick your jaws up from your desks.

MUMAH: I’m usually the opposite of you regarding Nicholas Cage. I find him entertaining and unique. Every movie he’s been in from “Leaving Las Vegas” to “Peggy Sue Got Married” to “Moonstruck” he’s left an impact from his performance. However, I could give two shits about “National Treasure 2.” It’s diet Indiana Jones.

BRADLEY: No, I believe the new Indiana Jones movie is diet Indiana Jones. Man, I plan to purely speculate my ass off for that film. I’m sharpening my sarcasm knives as we speak. And my sarcasm club. And my sarcasm hammer.

Sweeney Todd

BRADLEY: Another film that looks more than watchable. Depp playing Creepy (which is really all he’s “good” at) under the eye of the man more-or-less responsible for his career, Tim Burton. Throw in the timeless tale of a murderous barber, perhaps some jaunting and dark musical numbers, and this film will do rather well and give America a little culture while it’s at it, however twisted and dark that culture may be.

MUMAH: Don’t forget the fact that they chop up the bodies and sell them to people in meat pies. They seem to miss that part in the trailers. As far as Depp only being good at creepy, take a gander at “Finding Neverland.” One of the finest permances and best films you’ll ever see, and not an ounce of creepy to be found.

BRADLEY: Nothing creepy about a grown man hanging out with little kids to tell them stories about flying away to a magical land? Sure…nothing creepy about that at all. And how could I forget about the meat pies?

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

BRADLEY: By 2006, everyone in America loved both Ray Charles and Johnny Cash without ever having to actually listen to them. Why? Okay, stupid question, you know why. Hell, following Walk the Line, I’ve had to sit through countless terrible bar covers of Johnny Cash songs, including Hurt…which was a fucking Nine Inch Nails song. I cannot wait to hear “This is a Dewey Cox song…” from a bar stool in January. And yes, I know this is a spoof. I simply have no faith in America.

MUMAH: Judd. Apatow. All I need to say. Plus you have Paul Rudd as John Lenon. How can you not want to leave your wallet with the cashier?

BRADLEY: Damn it, I thought we could make it one month without me having to hand you a napkin.

Aliens Vs Predator – Requiem

BRADLEY: No Space Marines? No interest. Call me what it’s on HBO.

MUMAH: I love Alien. Hate Predator. My wife however, loves AVP. Go figger.

Charlie Wilson’s War

BRADLEY: December’s second film on Afghanistan lists a rather interesting cast – Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams – and a fun-filled look at how one, unimportant Congressman from Texas paired with one rich Texas widow and one awesomely mustached CIA agent to start the resistance movement against the Soviet Union. This move looks fun, Wag the Dog fun.

MUMAH: This film does look good, and if it’s half as clever as “Wag the Dog” it’ll be a must see.

By David Bird

Does the Iraq War mark the end of America’s influence? With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 America was hailed — at least in the US — as the world’s only superpower and now, just sixteen years later, many wonder if it is choking on its own hubris.

This is not the first time a single event was used to mark the end of an imperial power. Back in 1956 the Suez Crisis brought an end to centuries of imperialism by Britain, France, and, by extension, Europe. That Crisis was sparked by the Egyptian government’s decision to nationalize the Suez Canal. There were specific reasons for this, but the 50s were a period when many governments were nationalizing strategic industries and resources, even in the West. The canal had been jointly run and controlled by London and Paris, who weren’t happy to see it go and weren’t content to let the situation stand. They conspired with Israel to get it back. Israel would launch an attack on Egypt, ostensibly in response to guerrilla attacks from Egyptian territory, and the two European partners would step in as peace keepers, separating the warring factions and in the process retaking control of the canal. They won the battle, but they lost the war. International condemnation, including from Washington, was swift and effectual. The Anglo-French troops were replaced by UN peacekeepers and the international balance of power shifted away from Europe and to the US and USSR.

But the end of European supremacy did not come about solely because of events in the Egyptian desert. The European powers had exhausted themselves in Second World War and were already divesting of many of their colonies even before Suez happened. If it was a humiliation for Britain and France, it was only because it forced them to accept their new reality. This is not a reality the America is facing. The US is still the most powerful and the richest nation… ever. Comparatively, though, it has been stronger. In 1945 it was the only major power whose cities and industries were not in ruins. It was the only nuclear power. Since then the rest of the world has grown much wealthier and many have often been compared to the US as though they were on an equal footing. Even now that is not strictly true. America’s GDP is over 13 trillion dollars. Russia’s is only 1.8 trillion, Germany’s 2.3 trillion, Japan and India’s are 4.2 each. China is closest with 10.2, but its per capita GDP is only $7,800, compared to America’s $43,800. The European Union’s is equal to the US, but that’s the combined GDP of 27 countries who, in spite of their burgeoning economic power, have not translated that wealth into political clout.

Now there are many who believe America’s economic well being is about to take a serious turn for the worse as well. The word recession is being bandied about with increasing frequency. And this may well happen. Housing starts, an important economic indicator, are going no where. Debt abounds, and may start impacting consumer spending - another important indicator. But there are other considerations to take into account. First, it should be remembered that the US economy has consistently defied the expectations of naysayers. Of course, the odds are against it doing so each and every time, but it would be foolish to ignore the recent past. Another wildcard to take into consideration is the new levels of globalization that exist. Until recently America was the engine of world economic growth. Now growth has decentralized, and smaller engines can be found across the globe. We don’t really know what this means. An example. Developing economies are responsibly for most of the new growth in oil demand, but America still consumes a quarter of the world’s supply. China, by comparison consumes eight percent. India three. If there is a recession and America’s demand for oil drops, can the new markets make up the loss? If they can, prices will remain stable. If not, prices should drop; though not as much as they would have before globalization. Other questions include: will the decentralization of the global economy speed or hinder America’s recovery? How will the lower dollar factor in? America has long enjoyed monetary bragging rights, but the lower value may tip the balance of trade in its favour and make outsourcing a less appealing option.

The new situation can be, in part, blamed on the policies of the current Administration - its policies have certainly damaged America’s credibility - but what is happening is the unfolding of trends that date back to the 1940s and have accelerated since the fall of the Soviet Union. Modernization, globalization, democratization, westernization. Call it what you will. At this point America still has the power to remain first among equals, even if its not uniquely so. If worse comes to worse and it is no longer retains the prestige it has enjoyed since 1945, what will happen? It will still be a prosperous, forward looking country. A magnet for immigrants from all over the world. Maybe its citizens will enjoy no longer feeling responsible for crises around the world. But for now, those who think America’s century - now only in its 62nd year - is over are getting ahead of events and, if the foreign and economic policies of the next Administration meet with success, America will put Iraq behind her very quickly.

It was damn cold. The wind was biting at my fingertips as the rain shot down around me. Man, this job ain’t no fun in the winter. But with a flash of the ticket I’d made it inside, one step closer to bringing down another perp. I was early, but that gave me time to scope out my surroundings before things got too late. You never know what could be lurking round the next corner or beneath the next stage. The called this place the Academy, and it had sure taught some lessons in music dealing – all the big names, Oasis, Nirvana- heck, any major muso who’d passed through this city in the last twenty years had played this den a visit. It was small, so small that you could see the whites of their eyes as they blasted the tunes right at you. The high ceiling gave it a school hall feeling that lived up to its name. One for the connoisseurs this was set to be an eventful night. As the lights dimmed I glanced for one last time at the file of my prey.

They called him Josh Ritter, he was straight out of some mid-west farm state, Idaho I think, but wherever it was, it was a long way from here. Apocalyptic love songs seemed to be his game, a dash of folk cooked up with some old fashioned rock’n’roll, a smart political commentary cut in to make this stuff go a little further. He seemed a smart one and I was gonna have to keep my wits about me if this was going to end with a collar.

Of course he wasn’t going to show his face just yet. No, he wanted his crowd already calmed down with a quick whiff of a sultry singer-songwriter. Looked like he’d enlisted the services of a southern lass, Kate Walsh, coming from Brighton she’d just been a blip on my radar before now, but it turns out she was more potent than I thought. In just half an hour she’s intoxicated and captivated the assembled music junkies, her gently plucked melodies lulling the crowd with their simplistic beauty. Ranging from melancholy laments oh heartbreak and unwanted love to celebrations of French boys and all they have to offer, she played from the heart and soon sedated the strung out crowd with her aural opiates. But this peace was not destined to last for long.

Exploding with Class A enthusiasm Ritter took the stage accompanied by his criminally stylish band. Decked out in vintage suites, the bassist even taking a leaf from the detectives’ school of fashion with a moustache that Poirot would envy, these guys looked the part as they commenced dealing out the tunes with aplomb. Bursting with energy they revelled in their own melodic depravity, sharing smiles and in-jokes as they cavorted across the stage in an almighty frenzy. I thought these guys weren’t meant to get high on their own supply…well these boys seemed to be playing by a different rulebook as their exuberance took hold of themselves and the fans. Up beat tracks were delivered with unreal frenzy that captivated band an audience alike. And then came the slow songs. Burning with intensity and intricacy these understated beauties would seduce even the hardest of hearts. The assembled hung on every word, absorbed by the intoxicating power of every acoustic strum. But this wasn’t no ordinary music dealer…hell no, this guy was going deep. Between tracks he threw forth insights into the criminal mind with bizarre and eloquent discussions of everything from being in a closet with David Attenborough to strange Idaho customs. Turns out for good luck he keeps a 100pound bag of potatoes in his basement…between the dead hookers and the guns, I thought to myself. Heck, even the fall of the Roman Empire got a mention- apparently it was due to a lack of disco, but I’ll bet any dough it was an absence of tough talking Rock PIs that brought it down.

After a massive twenty song set the show was brought to an end with a frenzied rendition of Lillian which saw our perp directing his victims in “barbarian falsetto” renditions of the chorus. A fiery show finished in a suitable depraved end, this is one man I’m certain I’ll have to catch.

Enough of the rant, and on to this month’s selection of judged covers. There might even be a holiday tidbit tossed in…you never know.

Voice of the Gods by Trudy Canavan
Genre: Fantasy

What the heck is Wonder Woman doing on the cover of a fantasy novel? Or wait – should I say, is Lynda Carter so in need of cash that she is now posing for fantasy novel cover art? The resemblance is uncanny, sans the red white and blue bodysuit. Maybe the artist watches old reruns of Wonder Woman while he draws covers for books like Voice of the Gods. We may never know the truth, but we can certainly concoct possible scenarios. Right now, those pictures in my mind are not a pretty sight – complete with greasy hair, greasy popcorn, and the eerie glow of the television late at night…but I digress! Voice of the Gods, as the cover tells us, is “Age of the Five: Book Three.” That’s a lot of numbers to digest in one short subtitle. Presumably then, if you’ve read the first two books you’ll know why the woman on the cover looks so confused. Why she is just sitting on a rock near the base of a large, misty waterfall, dressed in a revealing white gown, and who or what she is waiting for. “Destiny demands sacrifice…” the cover tells us. I get it. She’s sitting alone, dressed in white, looking a little bewildered – because some giant hideous monster is about to come and eat her! If you ask me, Wonder Woman wouldn’t put up with that kind of crap. She’d be standing up, magic power bracelets at the ready! But I have to say, the chick on the cover of the book has nicer bracelets than Wonder Woman.

Lawless, Texas by Bobbi Smith
Genre – Romance…no, Western…no, Western Romance…no, Romantic Western…awwww crap, I give up

Somebody really needs to tell the guy on the cover of this book to put a shirt on. Here he is, riding along on his horse waving his pistol around as if he’s in the middle of a gunfight, and he’s got no shirt on. And in the middle of the night, no less – the incredibly huge full moon behind him gives that away. I realize it’s pretty warm in Texas, but I just don’t think shirtless gunfights would be that comfortable. However, I suppose comfort isn’t important when you’re trying to impress the ladies AND fight bad guys. In fact, it looks like our striking gunfighter just got his chest waxed, too. Because as I’m sure you know, hairy chests are sooooo yesterday in Lawless, Texas. I just hope nobody shoots him and musses up his prettiness. That would be a tragic.

Manga Claus: the Blade of Kringle by Nathaniel Marunas, artwork by Erik Craddock
Genre: Graphic Novel

There’s a man without a shirt on the cover of this book too. But there is nothing pretty about him. Indeed, he is Santa and he is here to kick some ass! Honor, loyalty, and tinsel – those are truly words to live by, and Santa means business. He’s checking his list, and if you’ve been naughty, you’d better look out. This Santa has swords, and he isn’t afraid to use them. Who knew that Santa was so buff and tough? Not I, but it is clear he’s been at the gym working out while his little elves slave away making toys for all the good girls and boys. If I had known that Santa looked like this when I was a kid, I think I would have left twice as many cookies for him.

I must admit – that last cover worked. I read the book.

Happy holidays!