tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134006902024-03-07T18:31:03.862-08:00Blognabbit(muttered faintly under one's breath)cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.comBlogger645125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-19634911765593033392011-07-04T07:27:00.000-07:002011-07-04T07:33:04.949-07:00MUNI Simulation<object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v3m9_zu-kpo&hl=de_DE&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v3m9_zu-kpo&hl=de_DE&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="390" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />AWESOME! From Germany: a computer game where you can drive MUNI buses, streetcars, and cable cars. Sadly, it's PC only. <span style="font-style: italic;">(hat tip:</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.njudahchronicles.com/2011/07/think_you_can_do_a_better_job_driving_a.html"> the N-Judah Chronicle</a><span style="font-style: italic;">s)</span><br /><div class="bodytext"><blockquote>Willkommen in SAN FRANCISCO, einer Metropolregion in Kalifornien an der Westküste der Vereinigten Staaten. Bewirb dich bei den öffentlichen Nahverkehr und nimm Platz hinter dem Steuer eines Omnibusses, Gelenkbusses, Trolleybusses, Cable Car oder ganz und gar der Straßenbahnen. Insgesamt stehen dir 16 hochdetaillierte und animierte Fahrzeuge zur Verfügung. Steuere diese durch die riesige, frei erkundbare Spielwelt. Entdecke dabei hunderte von typischen Straßenzügen mit ihren originalen Steigungen und Gefällen. Stelle dich den Aufgaben des Alltages eines Mitarbeiters des öffentlichen Nahverkehrs und nutze dabei die vielen Funktionen im Cockpit, um den Fahrplan pünktlich zu erfüllen. Achte dabei immer auf Tankanzeige und Zustand deines Busses. Übernimm Sonderaufgaben, um dein Taschengeld aufzufüllen und erwirtschafte dir die eine oder andere Belohnung. </blockquote></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-45460517535219932122010-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:002010-10-29T21:58:00.245-07:00Catalog LivingPhotos from home furnishing catalogs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://catalogliving.net/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 258px;" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9hv4wkfx31qbp9v2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://catalogliving.net/">Recaptioned</a>.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-33843316246729348472010-08-05T22:14:00.000-07:002010-08-05T22:14:59.625-07:00The Most Incredible Miniature Pencil Art [20 pics]<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://twistedsifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/alphabet-carved-into-pencils.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 614px; height: 686px;" src="http://twistedsifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/alphabet-carved-into-pencils.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://twistedsifter.com/2010/08/dalton-ghetti-miniature-pencil-art/">The Most Incredible Miniature Pencil Art [20 pics]</a>Deirdrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934899405474102502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-37958150184761520192010-04-28T22:17:00.000-07:002010-04-28T22:20:44.424-07:00Pixels, by Patrick JeanShort film imagining what it would be like if the video games of 30 years ago attacked New York City.<br /><br /><object width="435" height="270"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ou8vRWTSsJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ou8vRWTSsJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="435" height="270"></embed></object>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-52064125447857914902010-04-27T09:51:00.000-07:002010-04-27T10:30:39.463-07:00San Francisco in Ruins (1906)<span style="font-style:italic;">(Hat tip: <a href="http://twitter.com/brainpicker">@brainpicker</a>)</span><br /><br />Using kites, photographer George Lawrence snapped an aerial photo of San Francisco just six weeks after the 1906 earthquake. (Quite a feat, considering the handbuilt panoramic camera weighed 49 pounds!) The photo, “San Francisco in Ruins” is housed at the Library of Congress.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCgN3v9_gK8ES-cxooIAYdfmQHor8nW7qW1yUu0h_AvgxjTthWvGZhS9XQMXCgnzjDmoiSReJ6SobSxmBOEDRinSEiamitkYDRxNqi5lAlK0n3UG6mRdQwmraahnf8iHV3bS8/s1600/lawrence-bw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCgN3v9_gK8ES-cxooIAYdfmQHor8nW7qW1yUu0h_AvgxjTthWvGZhS9XQMXCgnzjDmoiSReJ6SobSxmBOEDRinSEiamitkYDRxNqi5lAlK0n3UG6mRdQwmraahnf8iHV3bS8/s400/lawrence-bw.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464862492315252434" /></a><br /><br />The USGS has a zoomable high resolution version <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/kap/lawrence.php">here</a>.<br /><br />For comparison, here's a modern day photo of the SF skyline from close to the same location:<br /><a href="http://scotthaefner.com/features/1906/">Scott Haefner's site</a>.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-66409877744363180722010-04-15T00:42:00.001-07:002010-04-15T00:42:04.085-07:00A tax form for the marginally employedDesigner Sam Potts creates a tax form for freelancers for the NYT, including deductions for "Your food blog", "Your other food blog", and the "David Foster Wallace Memorial Deduction for Writers Who Use Footnotes."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/13/opinion/20100413_opart.html">Link</a><br /><br />[Via <a href="http://kottke.org/10/04/tax-form-for-freelancers">Kottke</a>]cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-37251652024658939922010-04-06T10:26:00.001-07:002010-04-06T10:28:58.638-07:00Yatta!Nine years old, this one.<br /><br />Japanese parody of a boy band music video, that also managed to climb to #6 on the Japanese pop music charts. [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatta">Wikipedia link</a>]<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rW6M8D41ZWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rW6M8D41ZWU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW6M8D41ZWU&feature=player_embedded">YouTube link</a><br /><br /><blockquote>We've got recession these days,<br><br />In goverment we've no faith.<br><br />Could we hit "reset," that'd be number one! <br><br />And since we're all here, it's just so much fun!<br /></blockquote> For those interested in <a href="http://www.animelyrics.com/jpop/happatai/yatta.htm">the English translation of the lyrics</a>.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://misseffieb.tumblr.com/post/500047946/never-forget">@EffingBoring</a>.]cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-14177745149595230532010-03-22T13:26:00.000-07:002010-03-22T13:39:01.897-07:00Ben Folds Serenades Random Strangers via ChatRoulette(hat tip to <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.fratellibologna.com/blog/">Fratelli Bologna</a></span>)<br /><br />ChatRoulette is a web site that randomly pairs people with webcams to each other. Want to chat to a complete stranger? OK! <br /><br />Ben Folds, at a concert Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, had his laptop and webcam open on his piano (and the screen projected so the audience could see it, so that he could serenade random strangers via ChatRoulette for 30 minutes. This clip is a 5 minute highlight reel.<br /><br />Note: contains profanity.<br /><br /><object width="500" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/LfamTmY5REw&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/LfamTmY5REw&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="315"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Entitled "Ode to Merton," the piece is a tribute to "Merton," a ChatRoulette user who gained fame/notoriety a week ago for doing improv piano on ChatRoulette. (Merton's YouTube Channel: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PianoChatImprov">http://www.youtube.com/user/PianoChatImprov</a>)Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-29850024811193923782010-03-13T00:31:00.000-08:002010-03-13T00:34:09.749-08:00Jimmy Kimmel: Handsome Men's Club<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MyGJXLxtVEo&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MyGJXLxtVEo&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I can't say I'm a Jimmy Kimmel fan... but when it comes to calling in favors to pull off a sketch, he's can get exactly who he needs in the room, from Ben Affleck to Lenny Kravitz.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-74751293205526198992010-03-03T21:46:00.000-08:002010-03-03T21:50:04.217-08:0070 Million by Hold Your Horses!Art History fun: How many paintings can you recognize in this music video from the band Hold Your Horses?<br /><br /><div><object width="420" height="339"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xcdhq9" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xcdhq9" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="339" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xcdhq9">70 Million de Hold Your Horses !</a></b><br /><i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/logreproduction">logreproduction</a></i></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-59354183094358267902010-02-21T22:58:00.001-08:002010-02-21T23:00:18.973-08:00Late to the Plants Vs. Zombies PartyVideogame composer and sound effects artist <a href="http://shigi.wordpress.com/profile/">Laura Shigihara</a> was wrapping up work on a cartoony tower defense title named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plants_vs._Zombies">Plants Vs. Zombies</a>, in which a garden of plants defend a suburban house from a zombie invasion. She was struck with the idea for a J-Pop-style theme song to go along with the game.<br /><br />The developer loved the song (because WHO WOULD NOT), and quickly put together a music video, which has garnered 1.7 million views on YouTube since it was posted last spring:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0N1_0SUGlDQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0N1_0SUGlDQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1_0SUGlDQ">YouTube link</a><br /><br />The song (available <a href="http://shigi.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/sunflower/">in both English and Japanese</a>) has been on heavy rotation on my iPod since I discovered it a few weeks ago.<br /><br />This week Plants Vs. Zombies (originally <a href="http://www.popcap.com/extras/pvz/">for Windows and Mac</a>) <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plants-vs-zombies/id350642635?mt=8">came to the iPhone</a>, and I decided to download and try it. It could very well be the title that turns me into one of these so-called “casual gamers”.<br /><br />It. is. awesome.cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-88569696253529811192010-01-30T07:11:00.000-08:002010-01-30T07:25:02.371-08:00Craig Ferguson on J.D. Salinger<span style="font-style:italic;">(via <a href="http://watching-tv.ew.com/">Ken Tucker's TV Blog</a> at EW)</span><br />From the January 28 edition of the <span style="font-style:italic;">The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson</span>: host Craig Ferguson riffs on <span style="font-style:italic;">Catcher in the Rye</span> --for pretty much the entire monologue... (starts at 2:30 into the clip)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/53yhKg9YV_g&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/53yhKg9YV_g&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-23652219640956143332009-12-07T15:05:00.001-08:002009-12-07T16:11:59.041-08:00East Bay snow<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebrpd/4167228584/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/4167228584_55857bb50f_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebrpd/4167228584/">IMG_0482</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/ebrpd/">EBRPD Public Affairs</a></span></div>I drove the kids past Lawrence Hall of Science on the way to school today... not our usual route. Much of the traffic coming down the hill the opposite direction had a dusting of white, frosty stuff on their roofs and sides of the windshield.<br /><br />The snow level hit about one thousand feet last night-- LHS had a light dusting on its landscaping and parking lots, and the fairways at the golf course in Tilden park were covered, too.<br /><br />East Bay Regional Park District's public affairs office has a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebrpd/">whole bunch of photos in their Flickr stream</a> showing a different look to their parks-- dusted with snow during last night.<br /><br />And blogger Rebecca Bond captured some photos of this morning's "snow day" at Sibley Regional Preserve in Oakland: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bondgurl/sets/72157622956851440/">Flickr set link</a>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-68680158586857981452009-10-08T14:17:00.001-07:002009-10-08T14:17:13.344-07:00The Constitution: God's Gift to AmericaDid not know that Jesus Christ authored the U.S. Constitution himself. That's how it appears, at least, in <a href="http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353#">this painting</a> which was passed around the internet this week. <br /><br />Hover your mouse over the image to reveal details, including Ronald Reagan, Nathan Hale, a non-Christian immigrant (now seeing the light), a smug college professor holding Darwin's <em>Origin of Species,</em> Satan, and that most pernicious of Supreme Court decisions, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_v._Hunter%27s_Lessee"><em>Martin vs. Hunter's Lessee</em></a> (1816).<br /><br />What's not clear from the painting is whether Jesus is holding a copy of the Constitution that includes the 14th Amendment, or whether his version maintains that whole "three-fifths of a person" bit from Article I.<br /><br />Of course the internet loves to eat itself, so now there's <a href="http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm">an alternate version of the painting</a> with alternative captions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353#">Original</a><a href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/10/amending-the-christianist-tableau.html"></a>: <blockquote><strong>Farmer</strong> <br>Truly the backbone of America.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm">Revised</a>: <blockquote><strong>Farmer</strong> <br>The government pays him not to grow stuff. Is against government handouts.</blockquote><br /><br />[via <a href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/10/amending-the-christianist-tableau.html">Andrew Sullivan</a>]cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-17062225239115593582009-09-30T09:39:00.000-07:002009-09-30T09:42:31.268-07:00Berkeley Empties Its Dungeon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG-3P0aajh6YOA7AGJoXh6aNcK14jbToFdWz9rSeMdOX9Vd08rwOp4ri_AnSK9lQE-SLyl8gK5g9zuLQoKLfKtlb5iYvz3NIbpYoXHB_-E-c7Xzyq0s2tezueFHlzMvcHg3Rb/s1600-h/spanish+inquisition.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387301305347042082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG-3P0aajh6YOA7AGJoXh6aNcK14jbToFdWz9rSeMdOX9Vd08rwOp4ri_AnSK9lQE-SLyl8gK5g9zuLQoKLfKtlb5iYvz3NIbpYoXHB_-E-c7Xzyq0s2tezueFHlzMvcHg3Rb/s320/spanish+inquisition.jpg" border="0" /></a> At last, Cardinal Biggles can no longer poke prisoners with the soft cushion. At least not in Berkeley.<br /><br />(Article from my new favorite local news source, InBerkeley.)<br /><div></div>Deirdrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934899405474102502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-71145159606296254032009-09-28T10:49:00.000-07:002009-09-28T11:09:41.379-07:00The Genuine Article<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcN5Mu1jq9WLrcm8faNZg9SOTUvmeIwyoRIP6JYYMautnyndMwuKHsAGn17N4iEUG_HaxKA47fYOKGaDQBWwL70x2A_tU6PnnTYzXOnxXF47Z5-6EHTvSwknQLSv5JFHcRNP4/s1600-h/beany.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386581946355984930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcN5Mu1jq9WLrcm8faNZg9SOTUvmeIwyoRIP6JYYMautnyndMwuKHsAGn17N4iEUG_HaxKA47fYOKGaDQBWwL70x2A_tU6PnnTYzXOnxXF47Z5-6EHTvSwknQLSv5JFHcRNP4/s320/beany.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have this brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and the thing is, since they had a kid? They can never focus on the important things anymore. Like, when they lived in San Francisco? and they would watch the home shopping network in the middle of the night? and never buy anything? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>God I miss those days. </div>Deirdrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934899405474102502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-30042283796585816102009-09-20T08:23:00.001-07:002009-09-20T08:23:59.876-07:00Stunning San Francisco time-lapsePhotographer Ben Wiggins likes to shoot time-lapse videos of cloud formations with his digital SLR camera. He also likes to photograph the transition from <a href="http://vimeo.com/5564853">day to night</a>. After dark he likes to shoot the flow of traffic, the glint of moonlight off the fog, and the dance of airplanes landing on and leaving the runway--like tiny fireflies in rhythmic formation. <br /><br />Here Wiggins stitches together several sequences he shot in and around San Francisco this summer. It's awesome.<br /><br />Click the four-arrow icon in the lower right corner to watch this fullscreen.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6601409&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6601409&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/6601409">Another Cloud Reel...</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1418111">Delrious</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Wiggins has other videos from <a href="http://vimeo.com/5471094">the Fourth of July</a>, the San Mateo County Fair <a href="http://vimeo.com/6158155">midway at night</a>, and <a href="http://vimeo.com/6079680">underwater</a>.<br /><br />[via <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/time-lapse-video-of-summer-in-san-francisco/">Laughing Squid</a>]cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-58487532755397616722009-09-18T23:17:00.000-07:002009-09-18T23:26:15.053-07:00Guerilla graphic design: Cardon Copy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cardoncopy.com/thework/images/15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 432px;" src="http://cardoncopy.com/thework/images/15.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">via <a href="http://www.curbly.com/Chrisjob/posts">Chris Jobs at Curbly</a></span><br /><br />Graphic designer Cardon Webb takes flyers posted in the neighborhood. Re-designs them. Not just re-designs: admittedly, he hijacks the flyer and overwhelms the essential content with design.<br /><br />Then he puts it back where he found it.<br /><br />Essential content is lost in the translation.<br /><br />But, oh, what fun for fans of design.<br /><a href="http://cardoncopy.com/index.html"><br />Cardon Copy</a>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432302620700328040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-22779985396666458482009-09-06T21:30:00.001-07:002009-09-06T21:33:39.144-07:00Catching Up With Auto-TuneI was about to post the link to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDOYN-6gdRE">latest edition</a> of Auto-Tune the News (#8) to the <a href="http://twitter.com/twignabbit">new Twitter feed</a> when I stopped to consider that many of the current readers of Blognabbit/Twignabbit may be a bit old/white/tired/busy to have much pop-cultural context.<br /><br />When I confirmed that neither Christa nor Tim were familiar with the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=736C3116AD309B58">seven previous editions</a> I knew I needed to write more than six words about it.<br /><br />"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-tune">Auto-Tune</a>" is the brand name of a digital audio processing technology used to correct pitch (on vocals or instruments). Since its creation in the 1990s it's been used to subtly (and unsubtly) modify musical performances both in the studio and live on stage, by pushing tones forcibly into perfectly tuned pitch.<br /><br />Cher's single "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xsiKBJGW4">Believe</a>" (1998) was the first American pop hit to use Auto-Tune as a conscious aesthetic effect, with the settings cranked into overdrive. Previous uses of the technology had worked to hide its presence. At its most extreme, Auto-Tune eliminates the voice's natural ability to glide between pitches, creating a synthetic stair-step effect. Cher and her producers took what had been considered a quirk and placed it into the foreground.<br /><br />While I primarily associate Auto-Tune with the singing of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyardigans">The Backyardigans</a>, anyone listening to Top 40 radio or music videos since 2007 (anyone? anyone?) would have heard and seen the rise of singer-producer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Pain">T-Pain</a> as the new king* of Auto-Tune, who has been popping up with hyper-processed backing vocals and refrains on <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2007/12/11/2007-12-11_singers_do_better_with_tpain_relief-1.html">hit after hit</a>** on the R&B and hip-hop charts. While the technology was more than a decade old (and available to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX1_XZ5z4dM">anyone with a Mac and Garageband</a>), T-Pain brought a particular gift for Auto-Tuned lyrical hooks and melodies that have continued to keep him in high demand. His surge in popularity led to a revival of Auto-Tune among a variety of artists across multiple pop musical genres.<br /><br />In June 2008 Sasha-Frere Jones was <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/06/09/080609crmu_music_frerejones?currentPage=all">clueing in readers of The New Yorker</a> to the reign of T-Pain. But by the beginning of 2009 T-Pain's ubiquity had started to become a punch line--one the singer was happy to play along with, kicking off Saturday Night Live's (i.e. The Lonely Island's) "I'm On a Boat" (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUjx4_X1qA">clean</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU">uncensored</a> YouTube links) with his trademark call "Shawt-ay-ay!"*** <br /><br />This past spring saw the debut of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=736C3116AD309B58">Auto-Tune the News</a>", a loopy series of music videos applying Auto-Tune to political speeches and television talking heads. Ridiculous wigs, a gorilla costume, and low-tech greenscreen effects belie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-tune_the_news">the creators</a>' lyrical and musical dexterity, as they spin the words of Joe Biden, Newt Gingrich, Katie Couric (their favorite muse), and a variety of members of Congress into Auto-Tuned musical gold. (Interspersed with several "Shawt-ay-ays".)<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Psfn6iOfS8">6th edition</a>, featuring Anoka's own queen of darkness Michelle Bachman, plus Nancy Pelosi, minority leader John Boehner, Sarah Palin, and Jackson Family attorney Brian Oxman:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Psfn6iOfS8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Psfn6iOfS8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />In June Jay-Z declared the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z13AjI8n4I">Death of Auto-Tune</a>" with the lead single off his new album, criticizing other artists for "T-Painin' too much." But despite his seniority in the rap world (or perhaps because of it), his exhortation won't likely dim the use of the technology any time soon, if a quick listen across the top 40 charts in Pop, R&B, Country, and Hip-Hop offers any indication.<br /><br />Which brings us to this week, and the release of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDOYN-6gdRE">Auto-Tune the News #8</a>. The latest edition features none other than: T-Pain, who turns his appearance into a commercial for his other new release of the week: the "<a href="http://iamtpain.smule.com/">I Am T-Pain</a>" iPhone app. <br /><br />The app is a collaboration between T-Pain, <a href="http://www.antarestech.com/">Antares</a> (the originators of the technology), and <a href="http://www.smule.com/?ab=2">Smule</a>--a top-notch iPhone developer that grew out of Stanford's electronic music performance department, making it no mere novelty. For $2.99 you can download <a href="http://iamtpain.smule.com/">a mobile version of Auto-Tune</a> with which you use your iPhone/iPod for on-demand vocal processing.<br /><br />And by branding it as a T-Pain experience (with the app's name and icon), the "king" keeps his name synonymous with the technology, even if its only use is to goof off with your buddies while you're waiting in line for a movie (the app also makes it easy to share via MySpace and Facebook).<br /><br />Within a couple of days the application reached the #1 spot among paid apps in iTunes. Meaning that Jay-Z's proclamation notwithstanding, it remains T-Pain's world. We just sing "Shawt-ay-ay" in it.<br /><br />Here's a playlist of all of the Auto-Tune the News videos, in sequential order. It'll take a good half hour if you want to watch them straight through. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=736C3116AD309B58">YouTube link</a>):<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/p/736C3116AD309B58&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/p/736C3116AD309B58&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />And I'm assuming you've seen "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUjx4_X1qA">I'm On a Boat</a>", right? Because that thing gets funnier every time you watch it. (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUjx4_X1qA">clean</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU">uncensored</a>)<br /><br />Here's T-Pain's <a href="http://www.nappyboyonline.com/profile/Tpain">website</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TPainVideos">YouTube channel</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/DaRealerstTPain">Twitter feed</a>.<br /><br />And if you're not sick of it by now, here's <a href="http://vimeo.com/3718294">another funny internet video</a> positing the use of Auto-Tune in the workplace.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3718294&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3718294&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br />===========================<br /><br />*Given the outfits and antics he often displays in music videos, T-Pain could as easily be described by overeducated postgrads as the clown prince--or even mascot--of Auto-Tune.<br /><br />**"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su_zrW9WBVk">Good Life</a>" with Kanye West (winner of the 2008 Grammy for Best Rap Song), "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DC4Rb9quKk">Kiss Kiss</a>" with Chris Brown (prior to Brown's domestic violence conviction), "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VVuMIB2hC0">Low</a>" with Flo Rida (a favorite on the Ellen show), plus tons more. You can check out iTunes' "Essentials" list of the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMix?id=298872310&s=143441&wm=1">top T-Pain tracks</a> for sale.<br /><br />***An Auto-Tuned pronunciation of "Shawty", itself a variant of "Shorty", the 00s alternate for "Girl".<br /> <br /><br />cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-43596418091335079112009-09-01T13:34:00.000-07:002009-09-01T13:51:45.555-07:00Average Rating: 3 StarsWhat's a consumer to make of two business reviews on Citisearch? One's a 5-star and the other a 1-star. Should I just average them as Citisearch so helpfully does for me? Or perhaps reading the reviews will give me a little insight:<br /><br />EZ Cleaners, 2308 Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA<br /><br />In this corner, alex c:<br /><br /><strong>I've been going to EZ Cleaners for more than a year and their service is nothing but excellent. I am extremely happy when I receive my clothes because not once did I have a complaint. I trust my most expensive garment to be in their care and they also have reasonable prices.<br />PROS: great service, good prices<br />CONS:<br /></strong><br />But does he/she trust his/her second-most expensive garment?<br /><br />And in this corner, Barbara S:<br /><br /><strong>Over the course of two years, this dry cleaners damaged 4 different pieces of clothing and then refused to take responsiblity. When it was brought to owner's, attention, he said that I don't have proof that he did the damage because he didn't charge me for cleaning the item. Believe me he would have taken the money if I had been willing to pay for the poor service they provided. I refused to pay after seeing the damage. Did he think I would actually pay him for damaging my expensive clothing? The owner is rarely at his store, but instead is out opening more locations. His employees (the one's snagging, ripping, spotting<br />etc...the clothes) are not experienced in the dry cleaning business. Be aware of this sweat shop type place and take your nice clothes to a professional dry cleaners because this place sucks.<br />PROS: cheap prices<br />CONS: worst dry cleaners in town</strong><br /><br />Maybe I can request the one that's <em>not</em> snagging, ripping, spotting etc...the clothes.Deirdrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934899405474102502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-16696427132393713132009-08-28T23:04:00.001-07:002009-08-28T23:07:56.682-07:00TR Reid and the Healing of AmericaTR Reid makes an entertaining case for why we need to end this crazy American rationing of health care. He brings his sore shoulder around the world to test out health care systems offered by various nationalized health care systems. Listen to the end and take note of his experiences in India.<br /><br />Where can I send my check to help change our screwed-up Darwinian health care model?<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=112172939&m=112173424&t=audio" height="383" wmode="opaque" width="400" base="http://www.npr.org"></embed>Deirdrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934899405474102502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-27312049738464070662009-08-27T21:26:00.001-07:002009-09-14T11:45:18.860-07:00Matters of Life and TwitterRecently an underemployed "analytics" firm looked at Twitter usage and announced via <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8204842.stm">press release</a> that 40% of tweets are "pointless babble." Stephen Fry <a href="http://www.stephenfry.com/2009/08/18/pointless-babble/">expressed his disappointment</a> on his blog that the number was so low: <blockquote>I would have hoped 100% of Twitter was fully free of earnestness, usefulness and commercial intent. (<a href="http://www.stephenfry.com/2009/08/18/pointless-babble/">Link</a>)</blockquote>Many of the people I follow on Twitter are <a href="http://blognabbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/meet-wisenheimers-twitter-comedy.html">inveterate wisenheimers</a>, who have spent months (or years) chiding, mocking, and bitterly assailing those who attempt use the service for earnest, useful purposes.<br /><br />This past January, however, <a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome">Josh Hopkins</a>, a popular (and often profane) member of the Favrd comedy crowd interrupted his flow of jokes with something unexpected.<blockquote>Deficits could force the post office to continue reading your dirty magazines and delivering the rest of your mail to your neighbor. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1157090792">Link</a>)</blockquote>and<blockquote>Turns out, pregnant women don't want their body mass index calculated. God. Obese people can be so rude. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1157327547">Link</a>)</blockquote>were followed by <blockquote>On the way to the hospital. Baby and mom aren't doing so well. May deliver today. More details to come. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1158771762">Link</a>)</blockquote>and shortly thereafter<blockquote>Getting transported to NICU for C-section immediately. Baby has a heart defect. Not sure what's going to happen. I'll update after delivery. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1159770454">Link</a>)</blockquote>Finally, a few hours later, just:<blockquote>Lucy Kate Hopkins <a href="http://twitpic.com/18wad">http://twitpic.com/18wad</a> (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1160294232">Link</a>)<br /></blockquote>and<blockquote>Lucy is 2lbs. 1.5oz. & 13 1/2 in. Mom and baby are okay. Thank you everyone. You guys are so awesome. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1160455700">Link</a>)<br /></blockquote>Lucy Kate Hopkins was born 10 weeks premature, with <a href="http://thedayhascome.tumblr.com/post/143704827/lucy-kate-update-1">two congenital heart defects</a> and Trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome). She remained in the hospital for 75 days before Josh and his wife could bring her home. <br /><br />When my own son was born he spent the first hour of his life in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while they monitored his oxygen levels. Christa was being sewn up following the unplanned C-section, and I stood there by myself, watching my little boy attached to monitors and machines, unable to pick him up and hold him to me. The NICU was a lonely and frightening place, even knowing that he was going to be fine soon.<br /><br />Contrast that with a baby like Lucy Kate, for whom the first few hours (or days) offer no easy assurances of survival. And yet Josh, the father, took the time to tap out a few words to a thousand strangers with whom he had previously shared little more than 140-character poop and dick jokes.<br /><br />"Thank you everyone. You guys are so awesome."<br /><br />This in response to the dozens (possibly hundreds) of heartfelt and humorous Twitter replies and messages he had received on his mobile device from this virtual community in support of him and his family during the early hours of their ordeal.<br /><br />The NYT this week published a story about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health/25trau.html">parents who suffer from PTSD</a> following their experiences in the NICU with their premature infants. It quotes from <a href="http://www.vickiforman.com/">Vicki Forman</a>'s new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547232756?ie=UTF8&tag=vickform-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0547232756"><em>This Lovely Life.</em></a> In it she writes “From the moment my twins were born, I saw potential for tragedy wherever I turned. It would be years before I stopped thinking that way.”<br /><br />As he had before his NICU experience, Josh Hopkins saw potential humor wherever he turned, and shared it with the audience in his pocket.<blockquote>Lucy weighs 2lbs. 11oz. today. I'm concerned about her weight gain. I think the Skittles I've secretly been feeding her are making her fat. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1292904170">Link</a>)<br /></blockquote><blockquote>Looking at all the tubes, syringes and meth on the kitchen countertop, you would think we were running a meth lab instead of feeding a baby. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/1538087508">Link</a>)</blockquote>I don't know Josh Hopkins. I can't claim to know the many ways in which Lucy's health challenges and her time in the hospital have affected him or his wife. I do imagine that were their story to be introduced into the maelstrom of bullshit and bloviation that passes for "mainstream" discourse on television and Op-Ed columns and the internet, Josh would be accused of all manner of transgressions of decency, mental health, common sense, and taste (the latter I expect he would wear proudly), for sharing his experience in this way using something as public and "pointless" as Twitter.<br /><br />And what interests me is not just Josh's story, but the experience of the 3000+ of his Twitter followers who have been "listening in" over the past week as <a href="http://thedayhascome.tumblr.com/post/143704827/lucy-kate-update-1">Lucy has gone back into the hospital</a> for heart surgery. In the middle of our days we've received updates of Lucy being placed on heart bypass, of her sternum being closed, of her arms and legs wiggling for the first time after sedation, of her being taken off the respirator, then back on again. <br /><br />And of course Josh has had time to Twitter, because the experience of a family member in the hospital is nothing but endless stretches of time, waiting in an outer room, "showering" in restroom sinks, being unable to contribute in any meaningful way. <blockquote>My wife and I finally ate burritos. I imagine it was like watching two lions attack a pack of zebras on the Discovery Channel. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/3372171543">Link</a>)</blockquote><blockquote>Sleeping in the waiting room is the best sleep I've never gotten. (<a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome/status/3448111628">Link</a>)</blockquote>And using a different account, Josh is Twittering in the voice of <a href="http://twitter.com/LucyKateHopkins">Lucy</a>:<blockquote>Still not feeling well. My right lung is partially collapsed, but the doctors are taking care of me. I can't wait to wake up and play soon! (<a href="http://twitter.com/LucyKateHopkins/status/3455703578">Link</a>)</blockquote><blockquote>I'm starting to be more awake now. I tried to cry out but I couldn't, so my Daddy sang to me to keep me calm. (<a href="http://twitter.com/LucyKateHopkins/status/3549618384">Link</a>)</blockquote>Again, the "friends" in Josh's pocket have responded to him, with messages of encouragement and more. A couple of folks helped manage <a href="http://thememegeneration.tumblr.com/post/171594319/teamlucykate-update">donations to the family</a> through Josh's Amazon Wish List, or cash donations through PayPal. Someone else thought to set up a special link to the new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061897272/thedayhascome-20"><em>Twitter Wit</em></a>--featuring several contributions by Josh (and one by me)--through which a portion of each purchase would be given to Josh's family. <br /><br />Myself, I feel paralyzed when trying to put something meaningful into a Twitter-sized burst of text to someone I don't really know who's sitting scared shitless in a hospital as his five-month-old is undergoing open heart surgery. Even though it's clear from Josh's tweets that the encouragement matters. And that it's okay if what you write is trite or if someone's said it before, and said it better than you. <br /><br />But my own emotional and superegotistical roadblocks have kept me from writing much of anything to Josh, or to <a href="http://twitter.com/AinsleyofAttack">@AinsleyofAttack</a> when her mother died, or to <a href="http://twitter.com/Moltz">@Moltz</a> as he sat alone reading Twitter messages while <a href="http://twitter.com/MrsMoltz">his wife</a> was undergoing her double mastectomy in the wake of her breast cancer diagnosis. Then again I'm also the asshole who doesn't leave birthday wishes on people's Facebook walls.<br /><br />Looking at my Facebook news feed yesterday, it was clogged from top to bottom with people's reflections on the death of Ted Kennedy--some thoughtful, some emotional, some with links to words or video from elsewhere. That's a fair amount of emotional and attentional bandwidth for someone none of these people personally knew.<br /><br />Kottke <a href="http://kottke.org/09/08/an-abundance-of-death">blogged last week</a> about the coming "abundance of death", in which the rate at which someone we are aware of (the famous and the micro-famous) will die will increase to a daily (or more than daily) event. The day will come sooner than that when death, tragedy, or life-threatening illness will affect the lives of someone we "know" on our digital social networks.<br /><br />What will it mean to our psyches and emotional consciousness to have this persistent window into the hardships of so many individuals in something approximating "real time"? To receive up-to-the-minute updates of difficult labors, car accidents, families trapped in attics as floodwaters rise, kids dying of gunshot wounds, parents with Alzheimer's slowly slipping away? Tiny Lucy's journey has occupied a fair amount of my emotional space this week (and the time it has taken to write these 1500 words).<br /><br />Then again, it doesn't fucking matter how hard it is for me to peer through these tiny, text-based windows into the suffering of others from the vantage point of my life (and its privilege and blessings).<br /><br />What matters--to Josh, or to anyone who posts a Twitter message or Facebook status from a place of loneliness, pain, or fear--is the window out.<br /><br />===========================================<br /><br /><a href="http://thememegeneration.tumblr.com/post/171594319/teamlucykate-update">Give some money</a> to Josh and his family. You can follow <a href="http://twitter.com/thedayhascome">Josh</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/LucyKateHopkins">Lucy</a> on Twitter. Then, if you still feel like it, you can buy the <em>Twitter Wit</em> book through the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061897272/thedayhascome-20">special link</a>. It's pretty funny. I show up on page 107.<br /><br />===========================================<br /><br /><strong>UPDATE:</strong> (September 14, 2009) Lucy Kate's progress is being shared on <a href="http://teenytinyhopkins.blogspot.com/">her own blog</a>. Josh is raising money for the <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/teamlucykate">Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation</a> in Lucy Kate's name.cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-91876408911687807552009-08-23T07:32:00.001-07:002009-08-23T07:33:18.410-07:00Blognabbit gets all Twittered upThere's a new member of the Blognabbit family in town: <br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/twignabbit">http://twitter.com/twignabbit<a><br /><br />Follow the <a href="http://twitter.com/twignabbit">@twignabbit</a> Twitter feed for links to all Blognabbit posts PLUS additional links to videos, pictures, articles, and other tasty netmeats requiring no additional commentary.<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/twignabbit">Go on.<a><br />cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-55813371850445841692009-07-24T15:04:00.001-07:002009-07-24T15:04:54.397-07:00The Barry Gibb Talk ShowI haven't watched an episode of Saturday Night Live in over a decade, so forgive me that I missed this semi-recurring sketch featuring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake as brothers Barry and Robin Gibb (of The Bee Gees), hosting an American political talk show. <br /><br />Timberlake and the writers must enjoy the sketch quite a lot--bringing back Fallon multiple times after his 2004 departure from the SNL cast. <br /><br />This fourth edition aired in May of this year. Like many inhabitants of the SNL canon, it is structurally indistinguishable from the previous versions (although it is perhaps the most polished).<br /><br />I was howling. Your mileage may vary.<br /><br /><object width="420" height="242"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/gAGMFJSdvBrsh7s31Pyqvw"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/gAGMFJSdvBrsh7s31Pyqvw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" width="420" height="242"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/72438/saturday-night-live-barry-gibb-talk-show">Hulu link</a>cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13400690.post-25886502837130388812009-07-24T10:46:00.001-07:002009-07-29T08:06:41.135-07:00The Onion: Sold to China<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/china">This week's edition</a> of <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/china">The Onion</a> shows its makeover as a new subsidiary of <a href="http://www.yuwanmei.com/">Yu Wan Mei</a> Amalgamated Salvage Fisheries and Polymer Injection Corp.<br /><br />The entire issue is worth poring through, including their lead story, "<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/potato_faced_youngster_lauded_for?utm_source=a-section">Potato Faced Youngster Lauded For Memorizing Primitive 26-Character Alphabet</a>". <blockquote>[Teacher Heather] Warner then gave the boy a star-shaped sticker, explaining that he had learned the unsophisticated system of characters containing no ideogrammic compounds or transformed cognates more quickly than she'd expected.</blockquote>There are also reports from the new Onion Radio News ("<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/radio_news/no_u_s_military_leader_is?utm_source=a-section">No U.S. Military Leader is Worthy To Be Namesake of Breaded Chicken Dish</a>") and <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/police_still_searching_for?utm_source=a-section">ONN Video</a> (complete with important messages about delicious Yu Wan Mei food products).<br /><br />And holy crap. The Onion online store now features <a href="http://store.theonion.com/china-c-136.html">Yu Wan Mei specialty label products</a>. Sadly the "<a href="http://store.theonion.com/yu-wan-mei-miscellaneous-tasty-paste-p-1020.html">Miscellaneous Tasty Paste</a>" is sold out.<br /><br />Of course you can read about more <a href="http://www.yuwanmei.com/products">Yu Wan Mei products</a> at their <a href="http://www.yuwanmei.com/">website</a> or by <a href="http://twitter.com/yuwanmei">following the company on Twitter</a>.<br /><br />In his farewell editorial, former publisher Herman T. Zweibel announces "<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/columnists/well_ive_sold_the_paper_to">Well, I've Sold the Paper to the Chinese.</a>"<br /><br />In his inaugural editorial, new publisher (and CEO of Yu Wan Mei) Zuo Xiabing asks "<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/why_did_no_one_inform_us_of_the">Why Did No One Inform Us Of The Imminent Death Of The American Newspaper Industry?</a>"<br /><br />And announces The Onion is up for sale once more.cjerenetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07686860968972197291noreply@blogger.com0