2002-03-14 - 9:56 a.m.

Joe, that new White Stripes vid is hot. With two t's. Hott. I scammed a copy from the record company so's I can feature it in my monthly column in the magazine. Couldn't use the "Hotel Yorba" video because, well, I had nothing to say about the production. Now I must track down M. Gondry somehow: usually I can tell what's practical and what's CG, but with these Legos standing in for bits and bytes... I don't know, is it stop-motion or something? The video's only 1:54 long, so it's conceivable that every frame was pieced together (literally) by hand. Possi-blye. 30f/s x 114s = 3,420f = not inconceivable. But tedious! Woulda been a laugh to be a PA on that shoot. OK, here're your bins of blocks -- there's red, white, blue, yellow, black: now build! (Though the Stripes have really been keeping on the orthodox tip with the redwhiteblack color scheme, they seem to recognize the genius of Lego colors -- primaries only, plus blacks and whites.) I think also they used only four-bit by two-bit Legos. Man, I might as well watch that thing again. After all, it is for work.

In other news, I love how the Michigan folk warn me what my weather will be like tomorrow in their diaries today. This morning I knew I'd be closeting my bubble goose, because three separate Michiganders commented on how spring has sprung. Thanks, guys!