Uncategorized

Great video of Shepard Fairey at work creating one of his fine art pieces

Shepard Fairey from Arkitip on Vimeo.

ESPN.com: Arrests number 18 in aftermath of title
There’s more violence here than in Iran.  And for what?

Pictures of a rally for Moussavi in Tehran, Iran.  It is reported that hundreds of thousands of people have turned out.

More crowd pictures.

NYTimes.com: China Requires Censorship Software on New PCs

China has issued a sweeping directive requiring all personal computers sold in the country to include sophisticated software that can filter out pornography and other “unhealthy information” from the Internet.
…
“This is a very bad thing,” said Charles Mok, chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society, an international advisory group on Internet standards. “It’s like downloading spyware onto your computer, but the government is the spy.”

Called Green Dam — a reference to slogans that describe a smut-free Internet as “green” — the software is designed to filter out sexually explicit images and words, according to the company that designed it. Computer experts, however, warn that once installed, the software could be directed to block all manner of content or allow the government to monitor Internet use and collect personal information.

China has been blocking and filtering information for a long time, but not like this.  The ability for the government to monitor, block, and capture personal information on an individual’s PC is frightening.  The Chinese government in the attempt to control information might unwittingly be creating a bigger issue and battle than democracy- the right to privacy.
 

It’s pretty crazy how easily a fan could get out on the court and how nonchalant Roger Federer was about it.  Maybe he’s already forgotten about the Monica Seles stabbing.  It’s an unfortunate incident that thankfully did not affect the final result.  It’s a tremendous accomplishment for Roger Federer to win all four slams, something that I didn’t think would be possible seeing how dominant Rafael Nadal has been.

From THR.com: Fox reality gets ‘Stranger’

Fox is developing a matrimonial reality series where brides-to-be don’t meet their husbands until they exchange vows.

In A. Smith & Co.’s “I Married a Stranger,” a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to wed a man she’s never met. While she prepares for her blind wedding, friends and family are shown selecting a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates remain. Both finalists walk down the aisle, but only one makes it to the altar to reveal himself to his new wife.

“She never meets him until the actual moment when they say ‘I do,’ ” a source close to the project said. “It’s like the big scene that comes after an entire season of ‘The Bachelor,’ only this is in every episode.”

So marriage is sacred?

NYTimes.com: Budget Airline to Charge for Toilet Use

Faced with an annual loss for the first time in two decades, Ryanair, the European budget airline, confirmed on Tuesday that it plans to start charging passengers for the luxury of using the toilet on its jets.

My initial reaction was that this was pretty ridiculous.  How can you charge for using the toilet?  It seems the bad feelings generated would outweigh the revenue.

But, what if that meant lower fares for those of us who don’t need the toilet during a one hour flight?  I use the bathroom on an airplane as an absolute last resort so the only time I use it is on very long flights which Ryanair doesn’t fly.  I believe that the majority of the people who fly Ryanair don’t use the bathroom on the plane, so these passengers are subsidizing it for those who do.

So, it kind of makes sense in a way, but I am bothered by it.  Having a snack on the plane is a choice, but going to the bathroom really isn’t.

NYTimes.com: The Lord Justice Hath Ruled: Pringles Are Potato Chips

Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature has answered a question that has long puzzled late-night dorm-room snackers: What, exactly, is a Pringle? With citations ranging from Baroness Hale of Richmond to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lord Justice Robin Jacob concluded that, legally, it is a potato chip.

Procter & Gamble’s lawyers argued that Pringles were not potato chips to get out of paying $160 million in taxes.

In Britain, most foods are exempt from the value-added tax, but potato chips — known as crisps — and “similar products made from the potato, or from potato flour,” are taxable. Procter & Gamble, in what could be considered a plea for strict construction, argued that Pringles — which are about 40 percent potato flour, but also contain corn, rice and wheat — should not be considered potato chips or “similar products.” Rather, they are “savory snacks.”

Getting out of paying the tax put P&G in the awkward position of arguing that Pringles lack “Potatoness”.  I wonder what marketing things about that.

I don’t really have an interest in the Star Wars the Old Republic Online RPG game, but the trailer is a must see.  Why can’t the movies have been more like this?

Maybe it’s time for a Star Wars reboot.

NYTimes.com: Bankrupt G.M. Says It Owes $172 Billion

Robert Lutz, G.M.’s vice chairman, said that “for the first time in our history, the American auto industry has the ear of the administration. Their number one goal is to make us successful.”

What a way to get the “ear” of the administration.