The Heat and the Shine

With about a half an hour to go until tonight's Monday Night Raw, the author wanted to watch some basketball.   Milwaukee Bucks basketball , specifically.  And there are two ways to be in Los Angeles and watch Milwaukee Bucks basketball (legally, at least) in our modern age: NBA League Pass on cable/satellite or NBA Game Time over the Internet. And so, like Jamie Foxx in 1994, it seemed a good time to do a little Experiment .  How easy is it to watch on cable/satellite?  How easy is it to watch on the Internet? Dish Network Step 1: Power on the TV and satellite box.  This can be done with one remote control.  And the Dish guy sets the controller up so that it manages your TV's power and volume. Step 2: Go to channel 561 and hit "Guide".  Or go to the Guide and then hit "561".  Either way, a standard program guide shows the SD (in case I need to save DVR space) and HD channels that broadcast the games. Step 3:  I'm in luck!  Tonight there was

For a person who graduated in 1999, a recent stroll through the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts was dichotic.  On one hand film-based cameras and projectors that were used over the past one hundred and twenty years populate the basement of the decades-old Norris Theater.  (A basement that has now been re-branded as the Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive, believe it or not.)  On the other hand the towering Cinematic Arts Complex provides all the charm of listening to the DJ at a Clippers game play “Pump Up The Jam” from the 3rd deck of luxury boxes.  Every space is clean and every film is digital.   A Cinematic Arts student at USC can create anything they want.  The lighting, the camera movements and even the special effects that are seen in major film releases can be added to student films.  Gone are the days when Hershey’s syrup was used in lieu of blood.  Everything is possible at the students’ request.  But does it make for a better experience?