[ caught In between ] b.s.

Concede.

2008-06-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

the hr director for our asia/pacific region is a hoot...she just gave me candy from japan. cool!

2008-06-03T19:12:00.001-07:00

Billionaire backs youth teams

2006-08-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08172006}
{08:01:50 AM}

content

Billionaire backs youth teams

(Dallas Morning News)
[H]e worries about whether the boys are getting too much, too soon – whether it will be a letdown when they graduate to junior high and yellow buses and hand-me-down uniforms.

Third-graders flying in private jets to play in hoops tourneys, oh my. It must be nice to have priorities when raising your children.

metadata

08:01:50 AM

categories

keywords:
sports
culture

type

{atompost}

Technorati's Numbers are Wrong

2006-08-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08092006}
{08:07:41 PM}

content

Technorati's Numbers are Wrong

(Feed Blog)
Do the math. I like this post-within-a-post: "When one looks at population statistics, one doesn't count all the dead people."

metadata

08:07:41 PM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet

type

{atompost}

Web 2.0? It’s the same old media

2006-08-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08092006}
{06:58:05 PM}

content

Web 2.0? It’s the same old media

(The Internet is People blog)
Unless it really is world-beating, what are the odds of your content rising to the top and catapaulting you into web-media superstardom? When it comes to your content, yes, you are in control; however, when it comes to what everyone else in the world does with it, you aren’t.

Amen to that; a brilliant and thoughtful post that really speaks to what the Web is devolving into, circa 2006. All this Web 2.0 talk, spoken by a startingly homogenous group of men, anxious for their big payday when ___insert_name_of_big_media_company_here___ buys them out, just sounds like the next bubble to me. In search of greedy ends, a lot of potential is being missed.

metadata

06:58:05 PM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
economy
tags:
web2.0
bubble2.0

type

{atompost}

Madonna Speaks About Her Big, Big Project

2006-08-03T04:21:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08032006}
{11:21:31 AM}

content

Madonna Speaks About Her Big, Big Project

(TIME.com)
Malawi, a Pennsylvania-sized country in southeast Africa, has four things in abundance: AIDS, malaria, drought and tobacco (its major crop). It also has a functioning democracy and little conflict. To date, therefore, it has not attracted much attention from the rest of the world. But that's about to change. Malawi is about to be hit by a force that has thrown much more robust countries for a loop. Her name is Madonna.

I applaud her apparently well-meaning intentions, but I just have a gut-feeling that this is going to end badly. Celebrities think that they can just throw money at a problem, show up for few photo shoots, and then -- voila -- all problems are solved. (Thanks, Bono. Like Africa needs more well-meaning Western people; let's look at the historical record on that!) That's how it happens in the movies. But it doesn't work like that in real life. Especially when you're talking about problems that have been brewing for decades and generations. Does Madonna think AIDS and malaria happened to Malawi just yesterday? Please. Money and media attention are not enough, they're just sparks, at the most. Total commitment is required; so, will Madonna move to Malawi and live there for, say, five to ten years, to see her program launched? Yeah, I didn't think so either. Entertainers should stick to what they do best: entertain. Madonna is taking her name, Madonna, a little too literally, because she ain't no saint!

metadata

11:21:31 AM

categories

keywords:
world
regional

type

{atompost}

What the Internet really looks like

2006-08-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08012006}
{10:26:07 PM}

content

What the Internet really looks like

(Fortune/CNN.com)
Huge diesel generators, enormous electrical switches and fat, concrete pipes [that] all occupy big swaths of space in data centers. Their purpose? To power and cool the vast number of computers, known as servers.

metadata

10:26:07 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Barkley eyes Alabama governor's office as a Democrat

2006-07-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07282006}
{08:29:30 PM}

content

Barkley eyes Alabama governor's office as a Democrat

(USATODAY.com)
"Alabama, that's my home. I'm thinking about running for governor; they need my help," the always quotable Charles Barkley said.

For those of you who think Barkley could do it -- after all, bad actor and pro wrestler, Jesse 'the Body' Ventura, became governor of Minnesota, and bad actor and steroid-pumped bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzeneggar is currently inflicting my home state of California as governor, so why can't bad golfer and great baller Sir Charles run a backwater state like Alabama -- well, I offer you this photograpic evidence:

Clearly, the guy is bananas, no, really, crazy! What sane brutha, in these f*cked-up times, would choose to pose for a national magazine cover in chains? On purpose? Now, if it was at gunpoint, that would be a different story, but this knucklehead made the decision on his own. I have a word for that: moron. Boy, wait 'til he gets to the governor's mansion, huh? But as long as people keep putting mics in his face, he'll keep talking, and we'll all have a continuous stream of cheap, dumb humor.

metadata

08:29:30 PM

categories

keywords:
humor
politics

type

{atompost}

Inside LeBron James' Marketing Summit in Akron, Ohio

2006-07-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07222006}
{10:58:07 AM}

content

Inside LeBron James' Marketing Summit in Akron, Ohio

(Advertising Age)
Emerging marketing endorsement heavy LeBron James convened an unusual 'marketing summit' for himself in Akron, Ohio, last week. Attending along with reps from Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft, Bubblicious and other interested corporations was Ad Age.

More on LeBron. Here's what I like about it: a group of young Black men, all childhood friends of the young hoops phenom, and none older than 30, are showcasing some real business and strategic acumen as they roll-out what essentially is becoming an advertising agency called "LeBron James, Inc." Here's what I hate about it: by courting the Nikes, Microsofts and Cokes of the world, they have become corporate lapdogs before you can even spell the words "s-e-l-l" and "o-u-t." Does Coke, Nike or Microsoft need to make more money? Wouldn't it be better for regular people (i.e. consumers) if these companies actually had to compete for your attention? Why not, in the same strategic way that Team LeBron is thinking about exploiting (a word I don't use lightly, because that's the real name of the game here) LeBron, why not build your empire with a new set of companies. What about helping some Black-owned companies get a foot into the global game, for example? Instead, h'ep Da Man rob and plunder by painting a slam-dunking brown face on things. Oh well. So much for idealism. The rich get richer. And corporate monoculture continues to spread worldwide.

metadata

10:58:07 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Scientists grow sperm from stem cells

2006-07-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07142006}
{11:41:17 AM}

content

Scientists grow sperm from stem cells

(Telegraph UK)
Scientists have turned stem cells from an embryo into sperm that are capable of producing offspring, it was announced... [t]he advance in reproductive science raises new opportunities to treat male infertility and the possibility that women could make sperm.

Well there's one argument against stem cell rresearch, if you are a man, that is: it can make you obsolete!

metadata

11:41:17 AM

categories

keywords:
biology
science
tags:
stem
cells

type

{atompost}

A Few Bad Men

2006-07-08T02:50:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07082006}
{09:50:19 AM}

content

A Few Bad Men

(SPLCenter.org)
Ten years after a scandal over neo-Nazis in the armed forces, extremists are once again worming their way into a recruit-starved military.

Here we are, fighting a so-called 'war on terror' and we have enlisted men who themselves are terrorists, domestic terrorists. It's absurd, but these goons are a cancer within the ranks, and it probably explains why we're going to have problems 'winning' this war: all the soldiers are not on the same page.

metadata

09:50:19 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Rap Mogul's Boycott of Cristal Champagne Unlikely to Hurt Brand

2006-06-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06272006}
{02:10:18 PM}

content

Rap Mogul's Boycott of Cristal Champagne Unlikely to Hurt Brand

(Advertising Age)
Rapper and Def Jam Records President Jay-Z's much-hyped boycott of Cristal isn't likely to cost the vintage champagne brand any dead presidents, according to beverage industry experts.

Who knew 'trifling' was spelled 'J-A-Y-Z'? This is what bruthas with money do: boycott companies that make $200 bottles of champagne, because that really matters. It's going to make a big impact -- in the make-believe world of rap videos. Maybe entertainers should really just stick to, well, entertainment.

metadata

02:10:18 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile

2006-06-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06252006}
{07:50:11 PM}

content

Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile

(military.com)
[A] retired Catholic priest and two veterans put on clown suits, busted into a nuclear missile launch facility, and began beating the silo cover with hammers, in an attempt to take the Minuteman III missile off-line. Seriously.

Well, if clowns can run the most powerful country in the world, then I guess clowns can easily break into a nuclear weapons facility. Seriously.

metadata

07:50:11 PM

categories

keywords:
humor
government

type

{atompost}

Magazine Chief Calls Ad Industry Racist

2006-06-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06142006}
{10:04:00 AM}

content

Magazine Chief Calls Ad Industry Racist

(Advertising Age)
"A general-market agency will have one or two African-Americans or Latinos on staff to represent that point of view, but essentially they believe African-Americans and Latinos are white people in black skin. They put black and Latino faces in an ad and say, 'Hey, we advertise to them.' At an ethnic agency, we live in the communities; we know the populations."

The reasons given for this problem are stale and typical (ie. but we have one Black person on staff, or but we produced a spot starring P.Diddy -- or whatever his name is this week.) Black ad professionals can't move up the ladder at so-called traditional firms. So they start their own firms, which is the rational thing to do, only find that they can't get clients to spend with them. The more things change, the more they stay the same: but let's be clear about this, it's not just the advertising industry, it's the entire culture. But things will change, rest assured.

metadata

10:04:00 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Why Getting the User To Create Web Content Isn't Always Progress

2006-06-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06102006}
{06:35:32 AM}

content

Why Getting the User To Create Web Content Isn't Always Progress

(WSJ.com)
"[U]ser-generated content," referred to by the smart set as "UGC." Most of the time, when companies talk about user-generated content, they mean nothing grander than the pictures you store on Web sites or the pages that MySpace members spend hours fussing over. But for those preaching the glories of the new mash-up culture, UGC is bringing about a new golden age, with the Internet giving a platform to everyone, not just elite writers or filmmakers.

While this guy has a few keen observations here, he does come off sounding like a bitter, old-school newpaper guy who's worried about all the eyeballs that are no longer reading his paper. Another clueless guy from the MSM. (Hey, journalists have to eat too, so I hope newspapers find a way to reinvent themselves.) But what's really lost on him is one of most important reasons why users would create content in the first place: because the so-called elite filmmakers and writers aren't creating material that people truly care about. Now maybe this is because the suits make production decisions based on revenue potential, and their artistic taste is deplorably inferior -- I'm sure there's a grain of truth to that -- but hasn't it always been the case that the money guys give the greenlight?

The real problem is lack of compelling, interesting, and universal ideas in the first place. Elites, where art thou? Examine the all-too-rapid decline of HBO's The Sopranos, look at the crap that was the last three Star Wars epics, pick any book off of the bestseller list of your choice: all garbage, no timeless classic anywhere to be found. So, if the elites are producing garbage, all in pursuit making a buck, then UGC seems like a rational step to fill a void created by the overflow of commercial garbage content manufactured by the so-called elite. Morever, if all the so-called elite can do is crank out garbage, then why should ordinary users be expected to do better? That this guy refers to a programme created in 1966 as an example of guilt-free quality content attests to the fact that the contemporary so-called elite isn't delivering anything worthwile. At least when they're tinkering with the digital age's equivalent of home movies, users are doing something constructive. The so-called elite needs to give users reasons to remain passive, and right now, they don't have the will or are simply not capable of doing that.

b/w: Scripting News

metadata

06:35:32 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Vote Or Whatever! Manifesto

2006-06-06T05:37:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06062006}
{12:37:29 PM}

content

Vote Or Whatever! Manifesto
Do you remember the last presidential election? It was more than an election...[t]he tastemakers and the trend-setters were totally into it, and let the rest of us know that voting was a really cool thing to do...[A]t Vote or Whatever...we wish to encourage people to vote. Second, we wish to mock opportunistic celebrities.

This one seems appropriate on this day. Not only is it "666" Day, for all you gah-damned satanic fools, but it's also Election Day. Coincidence, or just another marketing opportunity? Think again, Old Boy.

metadata

12:37:29 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Anything But iPod

2006-05-30T00:50:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05302006}
{07:50:52 AM}

content

Anything But iPod
MP3 Player Reviews.

Is it me, or is anti-iPod sentiment on the rise?

metadata

07:50:52 AM

categories

keywords:
music
technology

type

{atompost}

QOTD: 'You have to buy a new iPod at least once a year.'

2006-05-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05272006}
{07:48:25 AM}

content

QOTD: 'You have to buy a new iPod at least once a year.'

(Engadget)
My track record: four years, three iPods. OTOH, in the last ten years, I've had about nine different cellphones. Disposable technology is a feature of my life.

metadata

07:48:25 AM

categories

keywords:
technology
business

type

{atompost}

Viewer-Created Ad Message = V-CAM

2006-05-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05222006}
{07:04:50 PM}

content

Viewer-Created Ad Message = V-CAM

(Current.TV)
I think that user-created videos for their own sake are fine. Better, cheaper tools mean that today's home movie crowd ought to be able to crank out better clips. Of course one look at YouTube, GoogleVideo and this CurrentTV site makes you realize that creativity and talent, or lack thereof, always comes into play. But user-created video as a replacement for professional commercials probably isn't going to work. And I'm not saying that just because I'm in the ad game. Check out some of these "spots" and see for yourself. Cheesy and/or sentimental don't sell.

metadata

07:04:51 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

DRINKSMIXER.COM

2006-05-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05162006}
{07:32:16 AM}

content

DRINKSMIXER.COM
13100 mixed drink recipes, cocktails and drinks.

Lots of recipes to try out here, if you like the occasional cocktail. For some reason, this site reminds that hip-hop group, Tha Alkaholiks.

metadata

07:32:16 AM

categories

keywords:
food and drink
reference
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

Cop Blog

2006-05-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05142006}
{10:53:51 AM}

content

Cop Blog

(LAPD)
"Welcome to the LAPD Blog...[t]he continuing decline in crime in Los Angeles has positioned the LAPD at the tipping point for change."

Wow! A cop blog, copping concepts from Gladwell no less! What's that cop line from Blues Brothers: "It's got a cop motor... cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks." And if it's going to be a blog of any note, it better have cop attitude! You have to give LAPD props for trying to extend that long, incompetent, brutal arm of law out into cyberspace.

b/w: cobb blog

metadata

10:53:51 AM

categories

keywords:
law
crime

type

{atompost}

portobello mushroom-blue cheese burgers

2006-05-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05142006}
{09:53:41 AM}

content

portobello mushroom-blue cheese burgers

(Lulu Loves London blog)
if you're looking to impress, give these burgers a try. they are absolutely delicious. the tenderness and juiciness of the grilled portobello which has been marinated in balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic and olive oil is to die for. i would suggest a glass of chilled rose champagne as the ideal pairing for this burger.

When my globetrotting friend Lulu writes about food, it just makes my mouth water. I wish she could E-mail me one of these burgers right now.

metadata

09:53:41 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Hey ya’ll, when is the march for Black folks?

2006-05-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05132006}
{08:19:57 AM}

content

Hey ya’ll, when is the march for Black folks?

(Blackonomics)
“If you (Black people) didn’t get anything when you were in second place in this country, what do you think you are going to get in third – and maybe even fourth place?” ... [but d]on’t reduce this to an “us against them” argument. That only shrouds the important issues and diverts us from our own battle.

Exactly!

metadata

08:19:57 AM

categories

keywords:
black people
economy

type

{atompost}

Test your happiness

2006-05-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05132006}
{03:07:03 AM}

content

Test your happiness

(BBC)
Psychologists say it is possible to measure your happiness.

I think I have work to do; my score was: slightly satisfied. That seems right. I'm definitely not a miserable grump, and there are many things that bring me joy, but there's also lots of things that just bug the hell out of me. That's life I guess.

metadata

03:07:03 AM

categories

keywords:
psychology
health

type

{atompost}

Test your happiness

2006-05-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05132006}
{03:06:40 AM}

content

Test your happiness

(BBC)
Psychologists say it is possible to measure your happiness.

I think I have work to do; my score was: slightly satisfied. That seems right. I'm definitely not a miserable grump, and there are many things that bring me joy, but there's also lots of things that just bug the hell out of me. That's life I guess.

metadata

03:06:40 AM

categories

keywords:
psychology
health
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

://URLFAN

2006-05-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05112006}
{09:36:52 PM}

content

://URLFAN
Ranking sites in the Web 2.0 world.

Just what we need! More ego-building -- or -deflating, depending on how you score -- webtools, complete with the Web 2.0 label slapped on! Yay-yahh! I've definitely been lax in the blog-posting lately. After doing this for more than five years, I've noticed that between May and August is my slow time, so I'm not sweating the current sporadic posting frequency. I got into this blog game for two main reasons: 1) to polish and develop programming chops I'd use in the day job, in a consequence-free environment; and 2) to leave an open notebook for myself that I could look back on at some time in the future to figure out where my head was at in the past, and how it lead me to where I'd find myself at the present moment. Call it time-lapse bio-blogography .

metadata

09:36:52 PM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet
tags:
web2.0

type

{atompost}

Jimi

2006-04-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04302006}
{12:40:52 PM}

content

Jimi
The wallet for people who hate wallets.

metadata

12:40:52 PM

categories

keywords:
fashion
business

type

{atompost}

Chicago removes foie gras from menu

2006-04-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04292006}
{11:19:33 AM}

content

Chicago removes foie gras from menu

(International Herald Tribune)
"Government shouldn't be dictating what we eat," said Rick Tramonto, executive chef at a French restaurant, Tru. "It's just not right."

In a city like Chicago, teeming with millions of people and perhaps just as many problems, things such as crumbling infrastructure, a crappy public education system, corruption, crime, violence, and let's not forget rising gas prices, apparently it's salty, fat-soaked paste made from the livers of geese and ducks, that probably 2%, or less, of the population has ever eaten, that gets the attention of local government officials. We are not going to Hell in a handbasket; we're already there.

metadata

11:19:33 AM

categories

keywords:
government
culture

type

{atompost}

A grand unified theory of YouTube and MySpace

2006-04-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04292006}
{01:07:40 AM}

content

A grand unified theory of YouTube and MySpace

(Slate.com)
"YouTube and MySpace are runaway hits because they combine two attributes rarely found together in tech products. They're easy to use, and they don't tell you what to do." ...and then later ... "The easier it gets to use, the less geeky the Net becomes, and the more it starts to look like real life."

Feh! While the professional developer in me bristles at this implicit notion of dumbing-it-down, I know he's right. Design it and get out of the way. Keep it simple stupid.

metadata

01:07:40 AM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
internet
tags:
web2.0
mass+media

type

{atompost}

Mets broadcaster draws ire with remarks

2006-04-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04242006}
{02:01:29 PM}

content

Mets broadcaster draws ire with remarks

(MSNBC.com)
Keith Hernandez: "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout."

Next thing he'll say is that that women need a league of their own! Sometimes I think sports broadcasters are the bloggers of professional journalism: they say dumb things that are often biased, unsubstantiated, and frequently off-color. (See what I mean?) And don't forget: There's no crying in baseball, either!

metadata

02:01:29 PM

categories

keywords:
sports
gender issues
tags:
baseball

type

{atompost}

Demand for Duke Lacrosse Gear Soars

2006-04-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04212006}
{02:50:10 PM}

content

Demand for Duke Lacrosse Gear Soars

(ABC News)
In the wake of publicity generated by the sexual assault scandal surrounding the Duke men's lacrosse team, sales of merchandise bearing the "Duke lacrosse" name and logo have skyrocketed.

Woman cries rape, and suddenly people want to wear the shirts of the alleged culprits. If these sales reports are true, what a bunch of amoral losers -- not the lacrosse players, their day will come in court -- I'm talking about the fools who think buying the team shirt is a good idea. Classless jackasses! But it sure looks like crime does pay: Duke's athletic department is definitely cashing in on this circus.

metadata

02:50:10 PM

categories

keywords:
business
crime
tags:
duke+lacrosse

type

{atompost}

GasBuddy.com

2006-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04202006}
{09:40:37 PM}

content

GasBuddy.com
Find cheap gas prices in your city.

So I'm watching PTI on ESPN, and Wilbon and that boob, Kornheiser, start debating whether or not the price of gas in the States will hit $5 -- because it's a sports show, and gas is a sporting topic, I guess. Anyway, they make a big joke about it, talking about their Range Rovers and whatnot, and I had an epiphany as I watched: if and when the price of gas gets to $5/gallon in the States, it's not going to be a laughing matter. The price of everything goes up at $5/gallon, simply because everything suddenly costs more to transport, to power, to heat, to cool. But, in particular, it's going to be a few degrees north of hell for most people, especially those who depend on their cars to commute to work. A car culture like ours is going to have an ugly fight on its hands if gas goes over $5/gallon...forever.

metadata

09:40:37 PM

categories

keywords:
economics
culture

type

{atompost}

Lacrosse Players

2006-04-08T03:29:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04082006}
{10:29:33 AM}

content

Lacrosse Players
The elitism of preppies, the boorishness of jocks.
(Slate.com)

The lax players I've known, at prep school and in college, are accurately depicted here. The mindset is really just a different kind of thug.

metadata

10:29:33 AM

categories

keywords:
sports
culture

type

{atompost}

US college in turmoil over party rape of black stripper

2006-04-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04062006}
{10:24:33 PM}

content

US college in turmoil over party rape of black stripper

(Independent UK)
The Duke stripper story gets uglier all the time. But let's not fool ourselves: you think this is the first time this kind of thing has happened? You think this is the first time that rich kids from the right neighborhoods, excreting undeserved feelings of entitlement, have gone around wrecking and destroying everything they see with impunity? I went to Stanford. I've seen this mindset in action. Throw the bums in jail: that'll fix their smug, amoral *sses right quick.

metadata

10:24:33 PM

categories

keywords:
crime
racism

type

{atompost}

NBC should be ashamed, NASCAR says

2006-04-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04062006}
{04:28:17 AM}

content

NBC should be ashamed, NASCAR says

(Chicago Tribune)
NASCAR said NBC confirmed it was sending Muslim-looking men to a race, along with a camera crew to film fans' reactions. Apparently no one bothered them.

Hey, why report the news when you can go around and just try to stage it? Dateline is the same show that staged truck crashes and claimed the vehicles were prone to failure in the 1990's.

metadata

04:28:17 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Fan tosses syringe near Bonds

2006-04-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

datetime

{04042006}
{02:08:48 PM}

content

Fan tosses syringe near Bonds

(SportingNews.com)
A spectator tossed a syringe near Barry Bonds as he came off the field in between innings on Monday at Petco Park, and the San Francisco Giants slugger said he picked it up in his glove and carried it off the field.

Here we go. All season long. It will be interesting to see how the media handles this kind of "fan protest." It is the media who has made the biggest deal out of just one player, Bonds, who may have cheated, allegedly, in a league of players who cheated, many allegedly, though some have in fact made admissions. The media often spews bromides like "what kind of example does using steroids set for the kids?" But the media is full of hyprocrites, because by launching a witch hunt based on nothing but circumstantial evidence, they're now influencing fans to the point that some moron shows up at a stadium, throws a syringe at a man he doesn't even know, and other spectators in attendence cheer him on. I ask you, what kind of example does it set for the kids to act like a crude, vulgar, and possibly dangerous boor in public, and have others ratify that kind of behavior? What will the media say about that? Or will they just buttress the hypocrisy and continue to implicitly encourage this kind of behavior by remaining silent?

metadata

02:08:48 PM

categories

keywords:
sports
entertainment

type

{atompost}

Propaganda Posters

2006-03-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03302006}
{07:35:12 PM}

content

Propaganda Posters

(The Free Information Society)
One of my great interests is propaganda and its role in modern society, though you might not be able to tell it from this blog. Perhaps the fact that I'm in the advertising business gave me away. I'm fascinated by the tendency of the so-called mass audience -- which at any time may include you and me -- to be manipulated through imagery, rhetoric, spectacle, and illusion. It's my belief that we live in times where essentially everything we experience is propagandized to some extent. The only effective tool against propaganda is propaganda. So it's an endless arms race, a perpetual battle for hearts and minds. The science has become an art. Some of the posters in this collection go back more than sixty years, and yet, many seem appropriate today. Go figure.

b/w: The Spunker

metadata

07:35:12 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Unskilled and Unaware of It

2006-03-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03262006}
{10:57:28 PM}

content

Unskilled and Unaware of It

(Damn Interesting)
This tendency of the average person to believe he or she is better-than-average is known as the "above-average effect," and it flies in the face of logic...

Boy, do I know what these guys are talking about.

metadata

10:57:28 PM

categories

keywords:
psychology
culture
tags:
irony

type

{atompost}

Quote: Google Finance doesn't care about black people

2006-03-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03232006}
{02:23:25 AM}

content

Quote: Google Finance doesn't care about black people

(Valleywag blog)
Black like me: Symantec's CEO, John W. Thompson, is black...but on Google's cool new finance pages (and it really is cool, with all the mashed-up AJAX, Flash, and creamy nougats of data) if you mouse over his name, under the Management heading ... the mugshot of a white guy pops up...and a non-descript, powder-blue-shirt-and-khakis average white guy at that! Now that's some phunny sh*t: accidental racial insensitivity. The problem probably exists because the page isn't actually edited by a human, but constructed by a bunch of Google's search algorithms. We can't expect computer code to be tolerant, can we? Hate the coder and not the code. (As and aside, how long will it take GOOG to fix it? The original blog post is dated 3/22/2006.)

b/w: Scripting News

metadata

02:23:25 AM

categories

keywords:
humor
racism
tags:
google
tech-gossip

type

{atompost}

Chef Sort of Returns on South Park

2006-03-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03222006}
{01:33:21 PM}

content

Chef Sort of Returns on South Park

(Newsvine/AP)
The Comedy Central cartoon begins its 10th season with an episode titled "The Return of Chef!"

You know they couldn't get rid of a brutha that easily. How hard would it be to find another voice artist to do the voice, anyway?

metadata

01:33:21 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

You've Got Goodmail

2006-03-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03182006}
{04:21:52 PM}

content

You've Got Goodmail

(New York Times)
Ester Dyson sez: "Of course, the critics say, this is the first step. Pretty soon all mail will cost money, and then the free, open world of the Internet will be closed to poor people, nonprofits and other good guys, while multinational conglomerates fill their ever-growing pockets."

Goodmail sounds like a great idea. At some point, if you want E-mail to work, it can no longer be free...and it really isn't, anyway: someone is paying for all those servers and all that bandwidth. At least 90% of all the E-mail I receive these days is spam. I'm willing to pay to get just the 10% I actually want. The cost can be be micropayments -- pennies, or less -- per message so that poor people won't be left out. Any cost structure would make spammers, who send out tens of millions of messages to seriously reconsider. And if E-mail messages cost something -- like voice and text messages do -- you'd pay more attention to how you spend. The problem with "free" stuff is that it attracts freeloaders, and freeloaders suck. A tragedy of the commons.

metadata

04:21:52 PM

categories

keywords:
telecommunications
internet
tags:
e-mail

type

{atompost}

Pros Vs. Joes

2006-03-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03182006}
{02:46:12 PM}

content

Pros Vs. Joes

(SpikeTV.com)
I love the idea behind this reality show. But as someone who lived in a frat house with about a dozen future pro athletes, including three Super Bowl champions, and two Olympians, the physical gap between average Joes (even if they're relatively coordinated) and pro-class athletes isn't even close. It's not that pro athletes are more competitive, it's that they're more physically gifted. That's why they're pros and the rest of us are joes. I'm sure it will be proven on this program.

metadata

02:46:12 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Subservient Donald

2006-03-15T00:13:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03152006}
{08:13:30 AM}

content

Subservient Donald
If you ask "The Donald" a question, then you will get an answer. (See the parent site as well, Product Invasion, for well-deserved cracks on the entire Reality TV mediascape.) And you thought television existed for entertainment? Guess again.

metadata

08:13:30 AM

categories

keywords:
humor
entertainment
tags:
trump
reality+tv

type

{atompost}

Pakistan blocks blogs on cartoons

2006-03-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03072006}
{05:23:59 AM}

content

Pakistan blocks blogs on cartoons

(BBC)
One of the blocked sites is hosted on Blogspot, which led to the blocking of all web journals hosted on the site. The Pakistan bloggers found their blogs blocked, even though their blogs are not connected with the cartoons. They say they have still been able to edit and update their blogs, but not able to read them.

But blogs covering Pakistani Prophet, the local version of American Idol, are strongly encouraged.

metadata

05:23:59 AM

categories

keywords:
censorship
regional

type

{atompost}

Steve's Outfit

2006-02-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

datetime

{03012006}
{07:01:32 AM}

content

Steve's Outfit
This is the uniform for aspiring billionaires, cult leaders, and reality distorters everywhere?

metadata

07:01:32 AM

categories

keywords:
people
technology

type

{atompost}

They did it at the All Star game and no one noticed!

2006-02-26T02:25:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02262006}
{10:25:02 AM}

content

They did it at the All Star game and no one noticed!

(Blog Maverick)
Mark Cuban: "[W]e added microphones to the floor so the entire arena could hear the sneakers squeaking on the court. We turned up the mics on the rim, so the arena could hear the grunts and guys talking on the defensive side. We brought in the Maniaacs to clap and cheer and encourage the fans to get involved. It didnt work. The energy wasnt there. We got far more complaints than compliments. So we shelved the experiment. We went back to music, prompting and energy and the feedback improved considerably."

Interesting experiment in crowd manipulation by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Clearly, the spectacle aspect of a live sporting event trumps even the game itself... for the fans, though not the media. This probably explains why the people who complain most about steroids, bad officiating, possible game-fixing, and the like are reporters, and not fans. I honestly believe that the majority of fans don't care. They come for a show, and they watch on TV for a show. I've maintained for a while now, the actual fan experience of an NBA, NFL, or MLB game is fundamentally no different than that of pro wrestling, or ballet for that matter. The fans are there to be entertained. I don't think they care that much about performers' backstories. We live in a jaded world, so people need to be dazzled, not bored.

metadata

10:25:02 AM

categories

keywords:
sports
entertainment

type

{atompost}

Colony Sportswear

2006-02-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02232006}
{04:21:28 PM}

content

Colony Sportswear
For the NBA enthusiast, Colony Sportswear has developed an entirely new line of menswear we call 52nd.

What's the line from Disney's Dumbo, sung by the crows: I've seen a horse fly. I've seen a dragon fly. I've seen a house fly. But I done seen about everything when I seen an elephant fly!"? Well, in my book dress clothing festooned with NBA logos is my idea of elephants flying. Can someone please make it stop. I don't care how well-made the clothing might actually be. This is about taste. But then again, maybe we live in a tasteless society, and I just didn't get that memo.

metadata

04:21:28 PM

categories

keywords:
fashion
sports

type

{atompost}

Building a business based on copyright infringement

2006-02-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02212006}
{07:55:25 PM}

content

Building a business based on copyright infringement

(Jason Calcanis blog)
Flickr is a community for people who create content, YouTube feels like a community build off people stealing content.

A-ha! Isn't this the essential riddle, and criticism of the blogosphere, and, essentially, this digital age we live in? That is, no one -- not even this writer -- actually creates new content. They just remix or mash-up someone else's material and call it new. But what can you do, in a world where there truly is nothing new under the sun, and where there aren't audiences sophisticated enough to really appreciate or seek out geniune originality? In this kind of environment, the value of a copyright must be redefined.

metadata

07:55:25 PM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet

type

{atompost}

The 'Lost 1984' Mac Clips

2006-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02142006}
{08:53:07 PM}

content

The 'Lost 1984' Mac Clips

(Mac Essentials)
Here's a collection of videos built around the original Macintosh 1984 commercial, clips like the commercial itself, tape of a young-looking, bow-tie-clad Steve Jobs speaking to shareholders about changing the world, and a multimedia preso of the developer team building that very first Mac. Freaks and geek, for real, but this ad campaign was the holy grail of Super Bowl, and, well, television advertising, the Mac itself is perhaps sine qua non of brand building where the promise actually lived up to the delivery.

b/w: growabrain.com

metadata

08:53:07 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Bottled water, a natural resource taxing the world's ecosystem

2006-02-13T03:37:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02132006}
{11:37:00 AM}

content

Bottled water, a natural resource taxing the world's ecosystem

(PhysOrg.com)
"Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy," according to Emily Arnold, author of the study published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based environmental group. Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can end up costing 10,000 times more...the rapid growth in the industry has also ironically led to water shortages in some areas, including India where bottling of Dasani water and other drinks by the Coca-Cola company has caused shortages in more than 50 villages.

Today, we buy water...at mega-multiples of its natural price, since this life-giving substance, of which our bodies our mostly composed, should actually be free. The waters of the world's rivers, streams, lakes, rains...belong to everyone. Right? Tomorrow, we'll probably have to pay for our air. For now, though, have an Evian or a Coke and a smile, muhf*cka!

b/w: digg.com

metadata

11:37:00 AM

categories

keywords:
environment
economy

type

{atompost}

In which I attend the Grammy Awards

2006-02-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02132006}
{11:15:14 AM}

content

In which I attend the Grammy Awards

(johnaugust.com)
August: "To begin with, Music's Biggest Night is actually music's longest afternoon. They give out awards in 108 categories. Of those, only 11 are televised. The other 97 are passed out during the pre-telecast ceremony, which begins at 1:30 p.m. We left the house at noon to get there in time."

Screenwriter John August, whose credits include Big Fish and one of my campy-town lady favorites, Charlie's Angels, provides a real travelogue of what happens at the Grammies. It must be fun watching celebrities trip over power cables taped to the floor. Da camptown ladies sing dis song, doo-dar, doo-dar...

metadata

11:15:14 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Implicit Association Tests

2006-02-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02112006}
{03:18:33 PM}

content

Implicit Association Tests
Explore your own biases.

metadata

03:18:33 PM

categories

keywords:
psychology
education

type

{atompost}

Grammy Awards

2006-02-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02082006}
{11:38:06 PM}

content

Grammy Awards

(GRAMMY.com)
Maybe it's just me, but live music on television (even in HD) isn't the same as being there. The show was so-so. It was great, however to see both Dave Chappelle, and later, Sly Stone, who played a few bars while thirty or so top pop performers backed him up...and then left three minutes before his own tribute medley was finish. Dude must been bl*nted!

metadata

11:38:06 PM

categories

keywords:
music
entertainment

type

{atompost}

Songbird

2006-02-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02082006}
{10:59:41 PM}

content

Songbird

(Boing Boing)
The "open source iTunes killer," flies today: instead of connecting to one locked store full of DRMmed goods, it can connect to any and all available music (and video) on the internet.

Definitely worth a look. The presence of a viable open-source alternative in any category is probably a good thing, since the market leaders have to keep innovating their pay product, or lose customers.

metadata

10:59:41 PM

categories

keywords:
music
technology

type

{atompost}

SuperBowlAds.us

2006-02-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

datetime

{02042006}
{09:23:12 AM}

content

SuperBowlAds.us
Banned ads from Super Bowl Sundays past.

metadata

09:23:12 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents

2005-11-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

datetime

{11132005}
{11:00:36 PM}

content

Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents
The documents.

metadata

11:00:36 PM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet

type

{atompost}

13 Cars Torched As Unrest Reaches Paris

2005-11-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

datetime

{11052005}
{07:54:33 PM}

content

13 Cars Torched As Unrest Reaches Paris

(ABC News)
The unrest is forcing France to confront long-simmering anger in its suburbs, where many Africans and their French-born children live on society's margins, struggling with unemployment, poor housing, racial discrimination, crime and a lack of opportunity.

Ten days of rioting...and counting. Why is it that anywhere on the planet where light and dark communities intersect, there's nasty, violent tension? Question's rhetorical. We all know the answer.

metadata

07:54:33 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Rosa Parks

2005-10-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

datetime

{10242005}
{10:24:46 PM}

content

Rosa Parks

(Achievement.org)
"I do the very best I can to look upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day, but I don't think there is anything such as complete happiness. It pains me that there is still a lot of Klan activity and racism. I think when you say you're happy, you have everything that you need and everything that you want, and nothing more to wish for. I haven't reached that stage yet."

Her simple act of civil disobedience in 1955 sparked a chain of a events that changed America, well, at least on the surface and we're all about appearances and superficialities in this land. As Ms. Parks said herself, she still wasn't happy living in America. Neither am I. She was 92 years old.

metadata

10:24:46 PM

categories

keywords:
history
black people

type

{atompost}

ARE Blacks A Criminal Race? Surprising Statistics

2005-10-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

datetime

{10092005}
{10:46:14 PM}

content

ARE Blacks A Criminal Race? Surprising Statistics

(HuffPo)
The better question for public debate is this: do the actual government statistics bear out the claim that Blacks contribute disproportionately to the crime rate? Or is this largely a stereotype, which is driven by the disproportionate rate of ARRESTS and CONVICTIONS of Black people? And does the over-focus on Black crime conceal an alarmingly high crime rate within the white population?

Skip the story and check the stats, which conclude: the justice system is a meat-grinder for blacks, and disproportionally soft on white crime. And just who runs the justice system? That's the topic for an upcoming post.

metadata

10:46:14 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

secret history of the credit card

2005-10-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

datetime

{10022005}
{08:41:18 AM}

content

secret history of the credit card

(Frontline/PBS.org)
Eight things a credit card user should know...and much more you probably don't. (Complete original broadcast video available online as well.)

metadata

08:41:18 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Cooking 101

2005-09-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09262005}
{07:24:43 AM}

content

Cooking 101

(lifehack.org blog)
20 Lessons to kick start your cooking skill. My goal is to learn how to cook ten perfect dishes in the 6-12 months; that should be enough cooking knowledge for the eligible bachelor.

metadata

07:24:43 AM

categories

keywords:
cooking
reference

type

{atompost}

Writing sensible email messages

2005-09-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09192005}
{03:41:29 PM}

content

Writing sensible email messages

(43 Folders)
A little thought and planning can improve your communication skills.

metadata

03:41:29 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Paragraph

2005-09-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09142005}
{07:35:34 PM}

content

Paragraph
A workspace for writers. Interesting. (b/w kottke.org)

metadata

07:35:34 PM

categories

keywords:
books
writers
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

NerdTV

2005-09-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09142005}
{12:42:12 PM}

content

NerdTV

(PBS.org)
Technofreaks and supergeeks waxing all poetic and sh*t.

metadata

12:42:12 PM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
media
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

Women are 'put off' hi-tech jobs... but 'turned on' to porn?

2005-09-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09112005}
{12:53:30 AM}

content

Women are 'put off' hi-tech jobs... but 'turned on' to porn?

(BBC)
I couldn't resist connecting these two articles, same coin, different sides, perhaps: in Britain, young women apparently seem less and less interested in IT and high-tech careers, despite all the upside and the obviousness that the world is becoming more tech-oriented every day. But according to UK's New Statesman magazine, more of them are seriously thinking about becoming glamourous porn stars. The field offers opportunities for "people who yearn to be recognised, but have no specific talent..." Other than their exhibitionism that is. So much for progress, eh?

metadata

12:53:30 AM

categories

keywords:
gender
society
tags:
porn
technology
it

type

{atompost}

Amazon Shorts

2005-09-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09072005}
{07:23:33 AM}

content

Amazon Shorts
49 cents for a short-form piece of literature. For readers, intriguing.

metadata

07:23:33 AM

categories

keywords:
books
technology

type

{atompost}

Lost in the Flood

2005-09-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

datetime

{09032005}
{01:25:49 PM}

content

Lost in the Flood

(Slate.com)
What the media is not saying about this grim situation speaks loudly.

metadata

01:25:49 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

The definitive collection of idea generation methods

2005-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08312005}
{09:17:46 PM}

content

The definitive collection of idea generation methods
The methods have been drawn not just from the worlds of creative problem solving and innovation, but also from other worlds such as organisational change, strategic planning, psychotherapy, the new sciences and the creative arts.

b/w: 43 folders

metadata

09:17:46 PM

categories

keywords:
psychology
reference
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

New Orleans Is Now Off Limits

2005-08-31T01:25:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08312005}
{08:25:18 AM}

content

New Orleans Is Now Off Limits

(New York Times)
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told reporters late on Tuesday that it would be three to four months before residents would be able to return to their homes, but in Baton Rouge today, officials questioned that timeline.

Stunning. Depressing. Catastrophic beyond words.

metadata

08:25:18 AM

categories

keywords:
weather
regional
tags:
katrina
hurrican

type

{atompost}

PostSecret

2005-08-09T04:26:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08092005}
{11:26:15 AM}

content

PostSecret
Anonymous secrets and confessions told on postcards. Interesting.

metadata

11:26:15 AM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
internet
tags:
voyeurism

type

{atompost}

How schools are destroying the joy of reading

2005-08-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08062005}
{02:26:09 PM}

content

How schools are destroying the joy of reading

(USATODAY.com)
Dumbing-down textbooks for political and not educational reasons; upshot: dumb students.

metadata

02:26:09 PM

categories

keywords:
education
politics

type

{atompost}

things you can do with rss

2005-08-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08042005}
{08:12:30 PM}

content

things you can do with rss
any task with RSS that requires search or information retrieval from a server.

metadata

08:12:30 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

The Dark Side of Technorati Tags

2005-08-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08042005}
{11:30:30 AM}

content

The Dark Side of Technorati Tags

(Om Malik's Broadband Blog)
GigaOm: "I tag my post, Technorati benefits, and despite all that, my tags help spammers who clog my RSS readers gain more readers. That’s absolutely rotten!"

I agree; but since Technorati hasn't even been registering my tags for the last six weeks, I'm past the point of caring. Technorati is a site that went from useful to crap in the blink of an eye, and it's been breathtaking. Tagging, as currently practiced by Technorati, is a travesty, a sham, a mockery ... a traveshamockery! For these reasons, they're undoubtably headed for a big payday soon, as they're at the top of the tagging pyramid. The minute an Internet service hits that tipping point of diminishing returns is exactly when the "real world" notices and starts investing. But the crest of innovation has already passed, nothing lies ahead but wastelands.

metadata

11:30:30 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Wal-Mart opens in Shanghai

2005-08-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

datetime

{08042005}
{10:15:17 AM}

content

Wal-Mart opens in Shanghai

(China Herald blog)
Only 100,000 people show up...[but] for the fighting crowds it has been a disappointing experience.

Why is it disappointing? Because Wal-Mart's prices are more expensive than what people can find locally. Wal-Mart is high-end in China. Ain't that a blip!?

metadata

10:15:17 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Pimp That Phone

2005-07-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07252005}
{11:46:32 PM}

content

Pimp That Phone
All I can say is: please, make it stop! Pimpin' ain't easy.

metadata

11:46:32 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

MP3 Mash-ups

2005-07-24T03:19:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07242005}
{10:19:10 AM}

content

MP3 Mash-ups

(99X.com)
These can't be legal, can they? But you have to love a combo like Biggie vs. Led Zepp, eh?

metadata

10:19:10 AM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
entertainment
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

King of Thieves

2005-07-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07192005}
{12:07:22 AM}

content

King of Thieves

(Wired 13.07)
Quentin Tarantino gets called out for being the hack, er, remix-auteur savant, that he portrays on the big screen.

metadata

12:07:22 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

GTA: San Andreas Hidden Sex Scene Video

2005-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

datetime

{07152005}
{03:52:00 PM}

content

GTA: San Andreas Hidden Sex Scene Video

(The Bosh)
The growing controversy over the Hot Coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas apparently set the former First Lady [Hillary Clinton] off. [She] asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.

See for yourself; warning: not work-safe. (Windows Media Player required)

metadata

03:52:00 PM

categories

keywords:
games
entertainment
tags:
videogame

type

{atompost}

GarageBand: Recording Your Podcast

2005-06-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06302005}
{11:00:57 AM}

content

GarageBand: Recording Your Podcast

(Apple.com)
How-to publish your podcast to iTunes.

metadata

11:00:57 AM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet
tags:
podcasting

type

{atompost}

No, I'm not keeping up with your blog.

2005-06-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06292005}
{01:47:21 AM}

content

No, I'm not keeping up with your blog.

(Joho the Blog)
ClueTrain guy: "I don't want to lie any more. I don't want to feel guilty any more. So let me tell you flat out: There are too many blogs I like and too many people I like to making 'keeping up' a reasonable expectation, any more than you should expect me to keep up with Pokemon characters or I should expect you to keep up with Bollywood movies. I'm not going to feel guilty any longer about my failure."

Everyone experiences information overload, but only some are self-important enough to share the experience. There are also too many podcasts, books, movies, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and talk shows to reasonably keep up with all of the things you're interested in, and that's just for starters. What about actually spending real time with real people? Shouldn't everyone apologize, for contributing to this Tower of Babble(sic), or are only so-called "A-List" bloggers/writers, or people with the bully pulpit of Big Media behind them allowed to complain about too much information? I thought the whole idea behind blogging was that Everyman could have a Voice. Now, according to one of the so-called "blogosphere's" biggest hypesters, there's too many voices? Get a cluetrain.

metadata

01:47:21 AM

categories

keywords:
weblogs
internet
tags:
blogosphere
overload
rss

type

{atompost}

Oprah's Not Going to Let Hermes Wiggle Out of its Blatant Racism

2005-06-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06262005}
{05:52:49 PM}

content

Oprah's Not Going to Let Hermes Wiggle Out of its Blatant Racism

(BlackAmericaWeb.com)
Indeed, hell hath no fury like a billionaire black woman with an internationally popular TV show scorned.

Well, on the other hand, it was a French store, and you know how they are. But I love the part about the store flunkies saying, "We're having trouble with 'North Africans.'" Are those code words? Maybe Oprah should start patronizing Black -- maybe even North African -- fashion designers who probably could use her business and media stature to help their business and brand recognition grow.

metadata

05:52:49 PM

categories

keywords:
fashion
white supremacism
tags:
oprah
hermes

type

{atompost}

SAMBO'S BACK (IN JAPAN)

2005-06-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06192005}
{08:27:06 PM}

content

SAMBO'S BACK (IN JAPAN)

(Poplicks.com blog)
"But Mori [a psychologist] said most Japanese were surprised to learn that "Little Black Sambo" had racist overtones. "It never occurred to us," he said. "It was just a story." Intrigued by the controversy, Mori conducted academic experiments involving readers that he said showed the Japanese take nothing racist away from reading "Little Black Sambo."

And the bruthas [those who be psychologists, ya dig] find no racist overtones in the words "Hiroshima" or "Nagasaki." There's a common denominator in there, somewhere, between slavery and nuclear annihilation, but your mileage may vary, depending on your politics and phenotype.

metadata

08:27:06 PM

categories

keywords:
racism
culture

type

{atompost}

Coming soon: Googling the truth

2005-06-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06192005}
{05:10:45 PM}

content

Coming soon: Googling the truth

(Guardian Unlimited)
Google is for the first time planning to rank news stories according to their accuracy and reliability as well as their topicality (and they're filing a patent on it.) OK, now: paging George Orwell.

b/w: HuffPo

metadata

05:10:45 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Legal Guide for Bloggers

2005-06-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06152005}
{01:18:09 PM}

content

Legal Guide for Bloggers

(Electronic Frontier Foundation)
FAQs designed to help you understand your rights. To be clear, this guide isn't a substitute for, nor does it constitute, legal advice.

b/w: Google Blogoscoped

metadata

01:18:09 PM

categories

keywords:
law
internet
tags:
cyberlaw

type

{atompost}

The Downing Street Memo

2005-06-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06122005}
{11:01:51 AM}

content

The Downing Street Memo
Full text.

metadata

11:01:51 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

American Express Begins Issuing Contactless Payment Cards

2005-06-08T02:52:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06082005}
{09:52:23 AM}

content

American Express Begins Issuing Contactless Payment Cards

(ContactLess News blog)
ExpressPay is a new payment feature that consists of a secure computer chip powered by RFID. ExpressPay transactions are 63 percent faster than using cash. In addition, the Company announced 7-Eleven, Inc. as the latest national merchant partner to accept ExpressPay.

We're getting closer to the day where you can walk into a store, pick up a bunch of items, walk out the door, and automatically have your account charged. Isn't there something in the Bible about "only those with the 'mark of the beast' being able to buy and sell?" Convenient or creepy? Jury's still out.

metadata

09:52:23 AM

categories

keywords:
technology
business
tags:
rfid

type

{atompost}

WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price

2005-06-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06042005}
{01:16:28 PM}

content

WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price
[A] deeply personal journey into the everyday lives of families struggling to fight goliath.

metadata

01:16:28 PM

categories

keywords:
movies and films
business
tags:
wal-mart
globalization
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

Porn sites to get their own Internet domain

2005-06-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

datetime

{06032005}
{06:58:01 AM}

content

Porn sites to get their own Internet domain

(Reuters.com)
It's a nice little red-light district for the pornographers, but...

And what a big, juicy but(t) that is.

metadata

06:58:01 AM

categories

keywords:
sexuality
internet
tags:
porn

type

{atompost}

Mom-To-Be Advertises Baby As Billboard

2005-05-30T01:22:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05302005}
{08:22:57 AM}

content

Mom-To-Be Advertises Baby As Billboard

(AP)
The suburban Philadelphia mom-to-be is inviting advertisers to put their names on her child's clothing and baby goods, saying the ads are sure to get noticed. "Everyone looks at babies. We're going to be out and about all the time," said Michele Hutchison, 26, whose second child is due in June. Hutchison, a stay-at-home mother, has placed notices on the Web sites Craigslist and eBay seeking bids of at least $1,000 for the rights for one month.

Now there's a home filled with love; the baby's not even born and the mother is already pimping the kid. I always thought that the job of true parents was to nurture and protect their children, not to exploit them and turn them over to marketing vultures for profit. I wonder how the mother will feel when she's in old age, and her now-adult child comes and tell her, "I can sell you as advertising to nursing homes and caregiving hospices." It's all just business, right?

metadata

08:22:57 AM

categories

keywords:
families
culture
tags:
marketing
fools

type

{atompost}

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05292005}
{03:30:52 PM}

content

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
The saga is complete.

I'm not part of the Star Wars cult, so I didn't come into this movie with any hopes, except to get my $11 worth. And I have to say I was a little disappointed. I dozed off at least twice, during some of the ponderous expository scenes, and would have probably slept through large portions of the movie had my snoring not bothered my neighboring filmgoers so much. Now I couldn't begin to tell you what good acting is except to say that I know it when I see it, but bad acting is when it's obvious that the actor is trying to convey emotions and feelings that aren't really there. Hayden Christensen may be a fine actor, but in this movie he's in way over his head. Every scene that featured him—which was the majority of them—was about as exciting as watching paint dry. The guy tried hard, but in the end he was lame and repellent. Moreover, the love story between his Anakin and Padmé (played by the equally bad, at least in this role, Natalie Portman) just didn't ring true. Their love story, which essentially forms the center of the entire six-part saga, was simply not believable, not even in a cheesy, soap opera sense. With lovers like these, who needs enemies? The only saving graces of this flick were the incredible special effects, which we've come to expect from George Lucas and his digerati, and the fact that many questions, going all the way back to 1977's Star Wars were finally answered. But don't believe the hype, this film is average, at best.

metadata

03:30:52 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

Get Rich Slowly

2005-05-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05282005}
{11:29:32 AM}

content

Get Rich Slowly

(foldedspace blog)
The best books seem to have the same goal in mind: not wealth, not riches, but financial independence.

Great advice, and helpful reading choices as well.

b/w: CamWorld

metadata

11:29:32 AM

categories

type

{atompost}

Viagra-Blindness Link Probed

2005-05-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05272005}
{12:30:29 PM}

content

Viagra-Blindness Link Probed

(RedHerring.com)
For many years the little blue pill has been linked to temporary change in vision, with patients reporting a tendency for the world to appear more blue or green.

It always seemed too good to be true, a little blue pill that would let old, out-of-shape geezers try to put their mack on well into their retirement years, but what's the deal with Viagra making the world you see green and blue? Maybe people should act their age.

Related:
Some Viagra users report blindness-Pfizer (Reuters)

metadata

12:30:29 PM

categories

keywords:
pharmacy
science
tags:
viagra

type

{atompost}

The New Laws of Television (Part 2)

2005-05-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05242005}
{11:47:56 PM}

content

The New Laws of Television (Part 2)

(Boing Boing blog)
There are two principle components of the new value chain of television hyperdistribution: the producer and the advertiser. An advertising agency is likely acting as an intermediary between these two, connecting producers to advertisers, working out the demographic appeal of particular programs, and selling ad payload into those programs; this is a role they already fulfill - although at present they work with the broadcast networks rather than the producers. There is no role for a broadcaster in this value chain; the audience has abandoned the broadcaster in favor of a direct relationship with the program provider.

I like this theory. Cut out the middlemen... who can survive, and thrive, if only they change their business-as-usual tactics.

b/w: Boing Boing

metadata

11:47:56 PM

categories

keywords:
television
technology
tags:
dtv
web2.0

type

{atompost}

Saban says Ricky welcome but...

2005-05-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05232005}
{02:18:45 PM}

content

Saban says Ricky welcome but...

(SI.com)
Nick Saban, head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Ricky Williams, March 2005: "He's property of the Dolphins."

With all this talk about Ricky Williams hoping to come back to the NFL, I had to dive into the archive and bring out that quote. Not that Ricky owes the Dolphins millions in unfulfilled bonus obligations, or that Williams is an employee of the Dolphins. No, Williams is property of the Dolphins, no different than a lawn mower, or a water bottle. You'll have to excuse Saban's lack of finesse in his wording, he's a first year NFL coach, but it should really be clear from his statement that athletes, at least in the NFL, despite their million-dollar salaries, are little more than, um, yeah: slaves. Better recognize.

metadata

02:18:45 PM

categories

keywords:
sports
entertainment
tags:
nfl
football
slaves

type

{atompost}

Amazon.com: What are Statistically Improbable Phrases?

2005-05-22T04:42:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05222005}
{11:42:33 AM}

content

Amazon.com: What are Statistically Improbable Phrases?

(Amazon.com)
Amazon.com's Statistically Improbable Phrases, or "SIPs", are the most distinctive phrases in the text of books in the Search Inside!

This is a feature I just noticed on Amazon. I was looking at a book, and the so-called SIP was "n*gg*r girl." It really didn't fit the topic of the book, suggesting that its appearance in the book really stood out. So, I suppose the feature works, sort of. But I'll have to play around with it for more before further comment.

metadata

11:42:33 AM

categories

keywords:
books
media

type

{atompost}

Kareem to teach finer points of trash talk in Shanghai

2005-05-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05212005}
{07:49:42 AM}

content

Kareem to teach finer points of trash talk in Shanghai

(ESPN.com)
Along with teaching his famous skyhook, Abdul-Jabbar will touch on using language to intimidate opponents.

You can learn how to talk the talk, but can you back it up on the court?

metadata

07:49:42 AM

categories

keywords:
sports
regional
tags:
nba
basketball

type

{atompost}

XML Shareable Playlist Format

2005-05-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05202005}
{08:45:14 PM}

content

XML Shareable Playlist Format
XSPF is the XML format for sharing playlists.

metadata

08:45:14 PM

categories

keywords:
world wide web
technology
tags:
rdf/rss
xml
developer
web2.0
dl.c.s:
[1]
[2]

type

{atompost}

iPod bartender

2005-05-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05202005}
{07:33:46 PM}

content

iPod bartender
The iPod bartender and the iPod bartender shuffle allow iPod owners to take a list of drinks with them.

iPod. iPour. iDrink.

metadata

07:33:46 PM

categories

type

{atompost}

A tale of two empires

2005-05-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05192005}
{04:18:03 AM}

content

A tale of two empires

(ESPN.com: Page 2)
Star Wars Evil Empire vs. The New York Yankees.

metadata

04:18:03 AM

categories

keywords:
sports
entertainment
tags:
star+wars
yankees

type

{atompost}

Hiring is Obsolete

2005-05-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

datetime

{05182005}
{03:28:35 AM}

content

Hiring is Obsolete
The less it costs to start a company, the less you need the permission of investors to do it. So a lot of people will be able to start companies now who never could have before.

metadata

03:28:35 AM

categories

keywords:
cyberculture
economy

type

{atompost}

[ caught In between ] b.s.

Concede.

the hr director for our asia/pacific region is a hoot...she just gave me candy from japan. cool!

Billionaire backs youth teams

(Dallas Morning News)

Technorati's Numbers are Wrong

(Feed Blog)

Web 2.0? It’s the same old media

(The Internet is People blog)

Madonna Speaks About Her Big, Big Project

(TIME.com)

What the Internet really looks like

(Fortune/CNN.com)

Barkley eyes Alabama governor's office as a Democrat

(USATODAY.com)

Inside LeBron James' Marketing Summit in Akron, Ohio

(Advertising Age)

Scientists grow sperm from stem cells

(Telegraph UK)

A Few Bad Men

(SPLCenter.org)

Rap Mogul's Boycott of Cristal Champagne Unlikely to Hurt Brand

(Advertising Age)

Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile

(military.com)

Magazine Chief Calls Ad Industry Racist

(Advertising Age)

Why Getting the User To Create Web Content Isn't Always Progress

(WSJ.com)

Vote Or Whatever! Manifesto

Anything But iPod

QOTD: 'You have to buy a new iPod at least once a year.'

(Engadget)

Viewer-Created Ad Message = V-CAM

(Current.TV)

DRINKSMIXER.COM

Cop Blog

(LAPD)

portobello mushroom-blue cheese burgers

(Lulu Loves London blog)

Hey ya’ll, when is the march for Black folks?

(Blackonomics)

Test your happiness

(BBC)

Test your happiness

(BBC)

://URLFAN

Jimi

Chicago removes foie gras from menu

(International Herald Tribune)

A grand unified theory of YouTube and MySpace

(Slate.com)

Mets broadcaster draws ire with remarks

(MSNBC.com)

Demand for Duke Lacrosse Gear Soars

(ABC News)

GasBuddy.com

Lacrosse Players

(Slate.com)

US college in turmoil over party rape of black stripper

(Independent UK)

NBC should be ashamed, NASCAR says

(Chicago Tribune)

Fan tosses syringe near Bonds

(SportingNews.com)

Propaganda Posters

(The Free Information Society)

Unskilled and Unaware of It

(Damn Interesting)

Quote: Google Finance doesn't care about black people

(Valleywag blog)

Chef Sort of Returns on South Park

(Newsvine/AP)

You've Got Goodmail

(New York Times)

Pros Vs. Joes

(SpikeTV.com)

Subservient Donald

Pakistan blocks blogs on cartoons

(BBC)