Tanks for the memory

If your memory [RAM] consists of:

• 1 x 2 GB stick
• 1 x 1 GB stick
• 1 x 512 MB stick
• 1 x 256 MB stick

Which one do you suppose would have the bad segments?

Yup; you'd be right.

Part of me was thinking that you could end up going round in probabilistic circles: Is it 1/4, for example, or memInStick/totalMem?

It doesn't matter, though: Sod's Law always takes precedence.

What ah've been watching

[Most of the links in this section are definitely not safe for work, or perhaps even the home]

A friend loaned me his copy of Chris Rock's last HBO video, 'Never Scared' (safe) [*cough* (not safe) ... youtube ... ], and we watched it last weekend. Very funny in parts; not so resonant in others. The politics bits were hit-and-miss, although the section on political partisanship was very timely.

In an odd bit of synchronicity, the kids down the road have started blasting obnoxious Lil Jon crunk records (don't even think about it) instead of their usual happy hardcore. It just went to highlight the entire (pretty damned funny) "indefensibility of modern rap music" segment from Rock's show. They've got a pretty decent bounce, though (which is their only real selling point so I guess they ought to have ...)

Overall: Worth seeing if you have a high tolerance for bad language.

I also taped the showing of 'The Aristocrats' [IMDB (safe)] on FilmFour. I'm a sucker for documentaries and had heard a lot of things about it.

It's essentially a case study of the so-called "world's most dirty joke", put together by Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller). In it, they interview numerous comedians about: the joke's appeal (or lack thereof); delivery techniques; its evolution; attempts at its subversion or improvement; what it tells you about the person telling it, and numerous other angles.

The joke itself runs like this (you've probably heard it):

A man walks into a theatrical agent's office and says, "I've got just the act for you".

The agent, needing a hit, says "Great. Tell me what you do. Describe your act."

The man says, "It's a family act — myself, my wife, my two children — and what happens is ... he proceeds to describe an essentially-unimportant torrent of complete filth ... and then we take a bow."

"Jesus Christ", says the agent, "And what's the name of this act?"

The man replies with a flourish: "The Aristocrats"

While the premise is initially interesting, its execution leaves you wondering whether the idea's actually as good as it first sounds. Numerous people trailed as being in it (the aforementioned Rock, Eddie Izzard, Eric Idle to name three) don't contribute much except to say that it's a shit joke for various, brief reasons. You're left with the impression that perhaps, really, the initial premise is all there is to say about it and the film feels like it's treading water, looking for padding, from about the fifteenth minute onwards.

Particularly dissonant is the way many of the comedians talk about a definitive performance of the joke by Gilbert Gottfried at a function shortly after September the eleventh and about its cathartic effect that night. Maybe it was cathartic, but Gilbert's delivery in the footage they show of that performance isn't even as funny as his own delivery performed for the documentary in an empty boardroom or dining room somewhere.

It's not a terrible film, and there are one or two funny moments, but it was more interesting as a critical study of the character of stand-up comedians than as a hilarious exposition of a joke. I guess I couldn't really see why people get offended at it any more, although many do, according to the reports of a friend from London who said people were walking out of the advanced showings, shouting "Obscenity!". I hope they had some fun.

Overall: There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes but it doesn't deserve its reputation.

Take me to the Mountain

Yes, biznatches; just when you thought it had gone, it's back.

Identify this sucker:

Answers tomorrow.

Choonz

I've got a nice, but strange, break running for the MFC. Looks like I'll have to break out the tin whistle again; I've got the killerest TV theme in mind to run over it, too - and it'll definitely go.