Pure Twaddle

Sadly another month without regular internet at home. No matter. I’ve been on a book-buying binge ever since I found a Salvation Army and a used book store within walking distance of my flat; this is dangerous for a bibliophile like me. I knew I hit rock-bottom when I bought an obscure Umberto Ecco novel from a dodgy man in Union Square. Who knows what I could have caught!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Let me first preface this clip with a few facts:
1. I like Stephen Colbert
2. I believe P. Obama is eligible to be the US president
3. I believe in honesty

Now regard the following video:

It’s shocking how many times Colbert is cut into Taitz’s conversations. It’s not just basic interruption, a good ear would catch that most of her words have been edited out so that the only voice is Stephen’s. Sure it’s satire, but to invite someone on and make them a foil by post-production is disgusting and cheap. I thought better of you, Colbert. You don’t win arguments by erecting a straw man.

Popularity: 8% [?]

It’s Friday, so I’m going to be lazy. Here’s an awesome video:

555 KUBIK | facade projection | from urbanscreen on Vimeo.

Popularity: 6% [?]

What I want to know (and what you’re ignoring):

1. What exactly is Obama’s health plan. Yeah, I’ve seen the sound bytes. I’ve watched the Daily Show interview. I see the Republicans bitch about it. But what exactly is the plan? You haven’t once talked about the details. If there are none, tell us so!

2. What the hell is going on in Iraq? Obama got elected and suddenly there’s nothing important to report from our first major war since Afghanistan. Which brings me to:

3. What the hell is going on in Afghanistan? The Economist is reporting we’ve had one of the worst months of casualties in the EIGHT YEAR CONFLICT. Why the hell isn’t this a nightly discussion?

4. What the hell is going on with the economy? Ok, ok. Every economist disagrees with every other economist. That still doesn’t explain whether I’m going to have to temp for the next five years. Sure, it’s impossible to tell the future, but for God’s sake at least tell us what the possible outcomes are.

5. How much is the TARP and stimulus money helping? You were all over the debates like a fat kid on chocolate last October. Now the whole thing is treated like an amorphous blob that hangs without our periphery. There MUST be some kind of metric that can determine whether what was enacted EIGHT MONTHS AGO is having an effect.

6. What’s happening in Iran? You’ve had one night of passion with the temporary revolution and now you won’t call her back. Huge things are happening there still; you’d never know by your coverage. Is she not sexy enough for you?

7. Why are you ignoring China? The Uighurs have been rioting against one of our largest trading partners, lenders, and governmental opposites. Why is this almost completely ignored?

You want to save journalism and the newspapers? Start reporting the news, you idiots! I don’t give a damn about Sotomayor. I couldn’t care less about Goldman Sacks. Just explain to me what the hell is happening in the world!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Wired EIC (editor-in-chief), Chris Anderson, has just published a book espousing the nature of the free economy. As part of the book’s promotion, he gave a speech at the Wired Disruptive Business Conference outlining his main points (below). I offer a rebuttal in the form of early ninety’s hip-hop. Watch and learn:

Chris Anderson’s “bitch-ass” speech:

V. MC Double Def DP‘s Don’t Copy That Floppy! from 1992 (with extra whitey hate)

Bonus: DCTF sequel coming soon (with extra prison rape)!

P.S. If your game/movie/television show is so bad that only pirates will watch it (read: no one wants to pay to watch it – I’m looking at you, Michael Bay), then you need to re-think your media. Shit’s changin’, yo!

Popularity: 11% [?]

The Washington Post seriously needs to reconsider where online news is going. They have started a new “blog” called Innovations In News which, according to the sub-headline, offers a peek at “the latest creations from Slate and The Washington Post.”

(more…)

Popularity: 5% [?]

Wired is reporting that Michael Jackson is the first artist to reach over 1 million (legitimate) downloads in a single week. Having grown up only knowing the weird, ultra-white Michael Jackson, and only first learning about him because of the molestation cases against him in the early 90′s, I never much paid attention to his music.

I admit I immediately went to the YouTube to check out some Michael Jackson hits upon hearing about his death. I never gave him a second thought as a serious artist as I was growing up. Now after his passing, I see the guy had a set of pipes as a kid and had some great moves as a performer. Too bad no one 26 years and younger could have an untarnished memory of a very strange fellow.

Rest in Peace, crazy man.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The King of Pop is dead. Long live the King of Pop.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The Gothamist reports that the NYC unemployment rate hit 9%, especially “in the areas of ‘communications media, advertising and other information services…”

I chose a sweet time to move North and start my career in writing. I am currently looking for abandoned construction sites in Brooklyn in which to squat.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Here’s his writeup from Fark member Tatsuma about what’s been going on in Iran with a great description of the “players”:

https://sites.google.com/site/tatsumairanupdate/

Great photos (though dated) here:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html
and here:
http://tehranlive.org/

Plus the BBC’s live Farsi feed:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/tv/2009/01/000000_ptv_live_s.shtml

Crazy times…

Popularity: 7% [?]