Changing Its Spots

Welcome to Post-Leopard Accident.

My Apple whoredom continues. Yesterday at promptly 5 o'clock I went to the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue and stood outside in a four-block line (I was in the middle of the third block) in order to grab up Apple's new system software as soon as it became available. I ended up waiting 45 minutes just to get into the store, but the process moved quickly after that. More importantly, I was able to grab the free "special-edition" Apple T-shirt.

Installation was a breeze; it took my machine about an hour to scan the DVD for consistency (?!) and then install the upgrade. I believe this would have taken much longer if my hard drive were even remotely full, but I have almost 80 gigs free, so the installation required no defragmenting or optimizing.

I've spent most of the morning becoming acquainted with the new features, and without further adieu, I offer my own personal guided tour. Click on the screenshots to see larger images.

DESKTOP

This first image illustrates some of the most basic cosmetic changes. The Aurora desktop image is the only new "official" image I've noted, but it matches the look of everything else Leopard-related. You can't really see it here, but the menu is translucent, and all the menu lettering is clear without being obstructive to whatever is behind it. On the right side of the menu bar, I have added the Spaces pull-down menu, which allows you to choose from several different sets of windows that you have open (so that your desktop is not cluttered with everything at once). More on that below. You will also note that I have a "backup drive" icon underneath my hard drive icon; this is the external drive I have attached that it is constantly utilized by Time Machine (also more below). The dock is a bit different, too—note the 3D look and the way the application icons stick up into the atmosphere.


In this second image, I've reset the desktop background to the image of the molten strawberry I've been using... This more clearly illustrates the see-through quality of the menu bar and menus.

COVER FLOW

Mac OS X has now implemented the cool Cover Flow feature from iTunes into all of its Finder windows. In fact, now all Finder windows more closely resemble iTunes. In this example above, I am flipping through the files in my Documents folder using Cover Flow... You can see web pages, PDFs, Word documents, etc. represented in a visual format that flows very smoothly. The Cover Flow button is right next to the other View options: icons, list, and columns. Other window differences: the sidebar now resembles iTunes, and includes "smart" searches for items from particular times and of particular file types. Shared external drives now appear over here instead of on the Desktop.

QUICK LOOK

If seeing a thumbnail preview in Cover Flow isn't good enough (PDFs even allow you to flip through pages in Cover Flow!), you can now view files using Quick Look. When you right-click on a file and open Quick Look, a special viewer window pops up, in which you can read/see the entire document, regardless of what application created it. Thus, if you just want to read a Word file, you don't have to launch Word, etc. You can also cycle through your files in Quick Look mode, or view them in full screen. This is especially helpful if you're looking for a particular document but don't remember what you've called it.

SPACES

Spaces is simply an organizational mechanism by which you can put particular windows into groups. This simulates the effect of having several available desktops at once. In the above example, I opened a bunch of web pages in Safari and then switched to a second space, where I've got iTunes running, and then a third, where I'm playing with Photo Booth. This way, if I'm doing something with photos or music and suddenly want to look something up online, I can just switch back to the first space and browse; nothing needs to be closed or shuffled in order to see what I'm doing. The pull-down menu that I added to the menu bar allows you to choose between spaces; you can also set a function key (i.e. F8) to pull up the view that is featured in this screenshot. Like Exposé, you can just click on the space in which you want to work.

TIME MACHINE

OK—Time Machine is most definitely Leopard's star feature and the reason why you might want to upgrade. It *requires* an external drive. Once you've upgraded, it will perform one major backup, copying your entire system to the external drive, and then at regular intervals it will copy the changes you've made, so that you have a continuous index of your files going back in time hourly for a 24-hour period, then daily, then weekly. When you launch Time Machine then, this screen comes up. The window you have open gains a third dimension - and you can literally view it progressively back through time to find the snapshot that might unveil a file you've accidentally deleted or an earlier version of something you've changed. This state is then completely restorable - so you basically will never lose another file again.

If you don't have an external drive, you really can't use this feature, as it won't work directly on your startup drive. If you don't have an external drive, I'm not sure I'd recommend Leopard, but at the same time I might recommended buying one so that you *can* upgrade.

PHOTO BOOTH



Photo Booth has added some fun new effects. Most of these include adding backgrounds to your picture. You can also film brief movie segments as well as snap photos. This roller coaster effect is pretty funny in still shots, but it's even better in motion. Some day I will learn how to post/stream video clips.


Similarly, this picture features a background in space, which matches the Leopard theme. This one doesn't look very good; the quality of these images depends on how carefully Photo Booth can render out your actual backdrop. If anything moves or the lighting changes, it won't really work. But the picture shows off my Leopard T-shirt a little better! (The back of the shirt features a tiny white Apple logo near the top, over a caption that simply reads, "Add a new Mac to your Mac" and a tagline introducing Leopard.)

VERDICT

All in all, I'm enjoying the upgrade. I feel that the new features fit seamlessly into the look and feel of the OS, but I can't say it feels like a major step forward. Yes, everything on the Mac is starting to feel even more consistently stylized and coherently integrated than it has been in the past; most applications are beginning to depend on their abilities to function with the others. But all of these improvements are ultimately just a streamlining toward something more impressive and enjoyable to use without actually adding many incredible new functions that weren't there before. Mail and iChat have also undergone some new upgrades, but the main reason to get Leopard is for Time Machine.

Sinister Whimsy for the Wretched, Revisited

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Entering Valhalla

Accine to Postmodirn Welcodent. Norse Edition.

FAME OR SHAME

I've tweaked the blog a bit today, as Blogger has a seriously limited number of templates available and I was begining to feel self-conscious about the similarities between my board and others. In the process, I can still taste Paula Abdul in the back of my mouth (eww, not like that) and figured I should use the opportunity to cleanse the palate a bit.

Thus, I give you the Pomax Valhalla, a list of interesting musics/people/things that are somewhere in my thoughts. This list is subject to change each time I post, and if you piss me off, you might make the list. You can also buy me flowers or chocolates.

PEACEBONES AND PANDAS

Animal Collective is currently at the top of the list because their name begins with A. But as I am currently obsessing over Strawberry Jam, as I did with Feels and Sung Tongs, I feel obligated to elevate this band to a certain new level of prominence in my personal musical landscape. Not only do they keep pushing and surpassing themselves, but the individual strengths of each member continue to strengthen (whether Panda's percussion or Geologist's sounds or Avey's all-encompassing weirdness), and the resulting tension in their songs has become almost unbearably immersive. (Immersive tension? Does that make sense?)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the creepy/weird/silly video for "Peacebone":


Avey Tare released an album earlier this year with his new wife, one of those twin girls from Múm who graced the cover of that Belle and Sebastian record that no one likes except for Ben. I didn't think I'd ever again buy anything Múm-related, but this record is pretty cool. They recorded a number of gentle, acoustic, and somewhat rambling songs together and then digitally reversed them. When you buy the album, you can use a sound editor to turn them back around if you wish, but they're MUCH better backwards. Take, for example, the extended coda on "Sis Around the Sandmill," which kind of goes nowhere on the regular song but acts as a very cool lead-in to the haunting sounds of the album. By eliminating lyrical meaning and traditional structure, the backwards tracks emphasize the sounds and the moods that these two conjure up, and anyone familiar with Kría's voice from those Múm records should know how effective she can be in a wash of sound that overrides her simple preciousness.


So now with Avey's record, and Panda Bear's magnificent Person Pitch (the swirling 12-minute centerpiece "Bro's" will seduce and entrance you with its lushness and beauty), and the full band's thrillingly accessible (is it?) Strawberry Jam, 2007 is truly shaping up to be a banner year for Animal Collective. This comes as a relief to some of us who, once upon a time, felt that Sung Tongs might have been the peak of their creativity. (You can read my leaden PopMatters review, bad metaphors and all, here.)

HEROES AND ZEROES

Considering how long I just babbled on about one of the items in my new Valhalla list, I certainly don't have the time to go on about all the others. Let's just say that the longer someone remains on the list, the more you'll probably hear about them, and if anything up there goes unspoken about, feel free to ask me and maybe I'll make it a point to write something. For now, I'll just say that despite my obvious affection for Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam is *not* my current choice for album of the year. And neither is Radiohead. But you'll have to wait till December to see how it all plays out.

.noitidE esroN .tnedocleW nridomtsoP ot eniccA

Rainbows and the Promise of a New Day

Welcome to Postmodern Accident. Initials: P.A. Remember those initials.

HEAD ÜBER ALLES

In honor of Radiohead, who are yet again singlehandedly destroying the music industry with their revolutionary marketing techniques and stupid universally-acclaimed album In Rainbows, I have decided to revisit some real music, from back when the industry was securely in power and all the wheat was appropriately threshed from the chaff.

HEAD OVER HEELS


I think I first heard Paula Abdul's "Knocked Out" on some sort of Saturday dance-remix thing on pop radio, or maybe at Six Flags or on that old show Club MTV. At the time, it wasn't a big success, and I know why... it seemed like generic dance-pop fluff. Then "Straight Up" showed up *everywhere*. This had the perfect kind of attitude that made teen girls feel sassy but didn't really threaten the boys, because Abdul was kinda hot. Not everybody remembered her from her cameo in Janet Jackson's "Nasty" where her hair was kind of permed and silly-looking. Now her hair was all straight, and I think the video used that weird stretch-effect you get when you film in a wide aspect ratio but convert it to 4:3, so she looked tall and slender. And if I recall, the lighting made her look whiter than I think she actually is and her hair was a brassy color: an obvious marketing ploy to nab the suburbs. I believe next was "Forever Your Girl," which is subpar, as it focuses mostly on sweet pop and abandons the dance element that gave her attitude. By this time, though, it didn't matter -- the song was a massive hit in that Debbie Gibson-ish teen pop format and Abdul was a genuine superstar. Then she did the smart thing - she unleashed the Madonna-esque "Cold Hearted." This reconfirmed her dance strengths, and solidified the attitude with a genuinely sexy video, one that was deemed too steamy at the time for kids to watch. (How things change...) This song remains at the core of Paula Abdul nostalgia for an entire generation. After three massive chart-topping hits in a row, she re-released "The Way That You Love Me." Catchy, but nothing special, and the song only went to #3. But nothing could prepare the world for what Paula unleashed next... a duet with an animated cat. Called "Opposites Attract," the song was a trailblazer that won over even the most reluctant pop fan, and rightfully restored Abdul to the top of the charts. Not only was she a pop superstar, but she also managed an urban, artsy cool. It was only on the tail end of this winning streak that a remixed "Knocked Out" found some success, promoted as the key track from her second release, a remix album.

After all that, the backlash started. Could Paula Abdul really sing? Note that she didn't have a ballad in her catalog, the true test for a pop star. Well, she quieted the naysayers when she released the delicate "Rush Rush" upon the world, buoyed by a drag racing video featuring Keanu Reeves, who was just on the cusp of breaking out of his teen stardom. And Abdul proved with "Rush Rush" that she offered something for adults as well. Sadly, even though it would become her biggest hit, it also became her last, as "The Promise of a New Day" offered nothing new, the moody "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" made its biggest impact as elevator music, and the clubby "Vibeology" failed to make anyone care. Ace of Base was much more interesting.

"He's been telling lies."

More skin than you can shake a... errrr... stick at

Welcome to Postmodern Accident. Now Rated R. No children under 17 will be permitted without parent or guardian, but if they bring their fathers donning only body paint, I might make an exception.

GIRLS ON FILM... errrr, no... GIRLS IN PRINT

I had the pleasure on Friday night to be invited to the launch party for a new book that we distribute, Mr. Skin's Skintastic Video Guide. This is one man's life project, documenting all the T&A there is to be seen in the wide world of mainstream film. In other words, if Charlize Theron has borne a breast in her young life, it's in here. And I'm lucky enough to be a "special sales" person, which means I get to sell books to Playboy. Thus, I was one of only 10 people or so fortunate enough to make the guest list at the company. I took good ol' Cici with me.


These girls aren't wearing very much. Frantically, I looked around for men wearing painted-on bikini bottoms, but alas, I saw none. This is a great book, but I think it is a SEXIST book and it was a SEXIST party, clearly discriminating against naked men. More rights for naked men! (There's got to be a club for this. Robbie will be president.)

LIPSTICK CHERRY ALL OVER THE LENS AS SHE'S... errrr... PEEKING



Lookit! It's a masquerade party! And my wonky eyes make this last picture even better!

IN EXPLOITATION'S NAME WE MUST BE WORKING FOR THE... errrr... BOOK TRADE

The party took place at Level, a two-floor club in the Gold Coast. Cool club, but come on, they were playing the worst music I have ever heard. Mostly lame booty-call top 40 pop crap, but not even brand-name pop crap like Timbaland and Kanye. I deemed one song in particular as the Worst Song I Have Ever Heard, and I truly mean that, and I wish to hell I knew what it was, because when you come up with a superlative as definitive as this, it needs to be remembered. Sigh.


But before we tried to hit the dance floor despite the awful tunage, we hung out at our VIP table. This is Cici with the publicity girls, Jen and Elisabeth.


And I was psyched to see John and Kathleen at the club, as they weren't originally going to go. Thanks to the Mr. Skin people for these pictures, and for the good time.

"OH MY GOD - WHAT'S THIS??"

Cici and I were glad to cleanse our musical palate by heading out to Darkroom, where Life During Wartime were spinning, though it was admittedly a mixed blessing. The best moment for me was also the worst moment... These kids take pride in their mixing, and yet they ruined a stomping good Blur song ("Girls and Boys") by suddenly transitioning into... wait for it... a 12" remix of "Sussudio" by Phil Collins. AUUGGGHH. From Skintastic to Craptastic in seconds. Fucking ironic hipster hell!

"Ah, I've just got to have her, have her now
I've got to get closer but I don't know how
She makes me nervous and makes me scared
But I feel so good if I just say the word..."