Naturally, the designer, Philippe Starck, thinks he's making some Big Important Artistic Statement about violence, as though the reason people have been killing each other all over the globe since time immemorial is the lack of sufficiently provocative lighting fixtures.
"Why doesn't furniture show that everything is a political choice?" says Starck, who outfitted his gun lamps with black shades lined with crosses. "I am a designer and design is my only weapon, so I use it to speak about what I think is important."
Whatever, pal, I'll take two for the playroom.
I'm actually serious about looking at some of these when they become commercially available, unless of course the cost is prohibitive to my civil service salary. Maybe I could write the artist and suggest that cutting the price would help spread his Important Statement far and wide. It's worth a try.
The theme at this year's Milan International Furniture Fair: "The Tao of Tony Montana".
Ofc. Krupke at 10:55 AM
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13 April 2005
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13 April 2005
Joseph Wilson, call your office.
Ofc. Krupke at 10:29 AM
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09 April 2005
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09 April 2005
There's much to dislike in this Washington Post account of the case against Andrew Mickel, who has since been convicted of the 2002 murder of Officer David Mobilio of the Red Bluff Police Department (the jury took a whole 25 minutes to convict). Naturally, the subject himself is a rancid little shit, and that can't be helped. But beyond that, one can get a glimpse of the qualities of mainstream journalism that drive conservatives so crazy. The Post is not yet the New York Times, but they do give it the old college try now and again.
For one thing, the article's interest is squarely on Mickel, and nowhere else. He is interviewed, his family is contacted, various lawyers have their say. At no point do we hear from any of the victim's family, friends or colleagues, beyond a throwaway mention that Ofc. Mobilio was a "husband and father of a toddler" and that he was "hailed at his memorial service as a 'fallen hero'." He doesn't even rate a picture. Mickel is pored over as a complicated and occasionally sympathetic figure, a sad and tragically mixed-up kid. Mobilio is merely an abstraction.
There's some political sleight-of-hand here, too: it starts with the description of IndyMedia as "left-leaning", as though they were on a par with the DLC or the Brookings Institution or something. To say, as the Post does, that they "generally take a left-leaning stand against the Iraq war, the Bush administration and excesses of global corporate capitalism" is a bit like describing the KKK as "critical" of minorities. While casting about for a comparison for the rabidly anti-capitalist Mickel, alumnus of Evergreen State College, the Post comes up with Timothy McVeigh, solemnly noting: "It is as if Mickel, in his thinking, had gone so far to the fringe left that he started to look a lot like the fringe right."
No doubt you remember that raft of Washington Post articles from 1995 describing McVeigh as the spiritual successor to the Weathermen.
But then, only in the world of the Washington Post would someone's claim that they murdered a cop but that it was a justified political act be described as a "quirky defense".
Quirky. Where do they get these people?
For one thing, the article's interest is squarely on Mickel, and nowhere else. He is interviewed, his family is contacted, various lawyers have their say. At no point do we hear from any of the victim's family, friends or colleagues, beyond a throwaway mention that Ofc. Mobilio was a "husband and father of a toddler" and that he was "hailed at his memorial service as a 'fallen hero'." He doesn't even rate a picture. Mickel is pored over as a complicated and occasionally sympathetic figure, a sad and tragically mixed-up kid. Mobilio is merely an abstraction.
There's some political sleight-of-hand here, too: it starts with the description of IndyMedia as "left-leaning", as though they were on a par with the DLC or the Brookings Institution or something. To say, as the Post does, that they "generally take a left-leaning stand against the Iraq war, the Bush administration and excesses of global corporate capitalism" is a bit like describing the KKK as "critical" of minorities. While casting about for a comparison for the rabidly anti-capitalist Mickel, alumnus of Evergreen State College, the Post comes up with Timothy McVeigh, solemnly noting: "It is as if Mickel, in his thinking, had gone so far to the fringe left that he started to look a lot like the fringe right."
No doubt you remember that raft of Washington Post articles from 1995 describing McVeigh as the spiritual successor to the Weathermen.
But then, only in the world of the Washington Post would someone's claim that they murdered a cop but that it was a justified political act be described as a "quirky defense".
Quirky. Where do they get these people?
Ofc. Krupke at 11:56 PM
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07 April 2005
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07 April 2005
On the occasion of the death of Pope John Paul II, the New York Times published a piece about his legacy on their website. It was written to try and reconcile the Pope's accomplishments and criticisms, the kind of thoughtful, even-handed discussion we have come to expect from the Times. Stop laughing.
Or it would have been, had the Times been able to find anyone who liked the Pope. But apparently, they couldn't, because the second paragraph (as seen in this screen capture courtesy of the folks at Power Line) simply reads:
"need some quote from supporter"
It must be hard being the most established of establishment media outlets. Everyone's always whining about "balance", and expecting you to cover every little angle of every little story. There can't be more than, what, a billion Catholics in the world, and a million or so mourners a day at the Vatican. How are you supposed to find "some quote" from somebody who thought the guy did a good job? Ah, well, it's not like anybody edits these things.
Next month, the first installment of a seven-part in-depth investigative series wherein the Times attempts to find its own ass with both hands.
Or it would have been, had the Times been able to find anyone who liked the Pope. But apparently, they couldn't, because the second paragraph (as seen in this screen capture courtesy of the folks at Power Line) simply reads:
"need some quote from supporter"
It must be hard being the most established of establishment media outlets. Everyone's always whining about "balance", and expecting you to cover every little angle of every little story. There can't be more than, what, a billion Catholics in the world, and a million or so mourners a day at the Vatican. How are you supposed to find "some quote" from somebody who thought the guy did a good job? Ah, well, it's not like anybody edits these things.
Next month, the first installment of a seven-part in-depth investigative series wherein the Times attempts to find its own ass with both hands.
Ofc. Krupke at 3:43 AM
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04 April 2005
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04 April 2005
The other night, one of my buddies brought in a known downtown hood on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest, what we in the business often call a "P.O.P. arrest" (for "Pissing Off Police"). While said hood was mouthing off and being disagreeable in the booking area, several other downtown hoods shot a number of holes in his car, a car he might well have been sitting in had he not been a guest of the SCPD at the time.
You know, it wouldn't kill him to show a little gratitude.
You know, it wouldn't kill him to show a little gratitude.
Ofc. Krupke at 12:18 AM
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03 April 2005
Traditional religious leaders get a bad rap these days, but I say this: anyone who caused that much discomfort to the Commies is deserving of our respect.
R.I.P.
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03 April 2005
Traditional religious leaders get a bad rap these days, but I say this: anyone who caused that much discomfort to the Commies is deserving of our respect.
R.I.P.