January 2009
66 posts
Just talking to my daughter on the phone. We discussed the merits of going to Coachella this year.
http://twitpic.com/19o88 - Final photo of the Pineapple Princess in Hawaii.
Back up in Bellerose, NY. Again. Listening to opinions on our new President.
Having A Super Bowl party? http://bit.ly/baVM
The Politics of Wait-and-See
Once before, I registered my annoyance with alarmists. I don’t know if Obama handled this stimulus package battle properly, but I know he’s not stupid. So when I see this response (kind of a threat) and I see this promise, then it makes me feel confident in my wait-and-see attitude.
Here are some reasons to focus on quality, not quantity, of followers: http://bit.ly/t2PG
Our 1st vid with Kyle: http://tinyurl.com/b67g6m
Pot Calling Kettle Black →
Rafe Needleman calls out people who’ve been mean to drive traffic, thus being mean and driving up his own traffic. Jason Calcanis has addressed this issue in his new e-mail.
Stoked for Lost! http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid4396297001/bclid9302206001/bctid9298105001
Bill Hicks fans - this is great news: http://tinyurl.com/b7t6vg
5 ways to make your tweets viral: http://bit.ly/z7g1 Please, timing, link, get it retweeted (esp. by authorities), concrete value.
The DTV bill, S 328, failed in the House. It received 258 votes but needed to get 290 (2/3) to pass.
WatchThe nonsense that’s been spouted over the closing of Gitmo has irritated me, but Jon Stewart does a masterful job of taking it on.
Agent Provocateur
So, Mike Arrington got spat on the other day. I’m not applauding this, but I’m also feeling bad about not feeling too bad for Arrington. There are certain high-profile folks, like Arrington and Loren Feldman, that I don’t follow, because I’ve read or seen enough of their material to not care for their approach. Being that snarky or provocative is certainly a way to draw...
Ouch. Just heard an industry org just did a round of staffing cuts & cutting of hours.
House debated the DTV transition extension last night on the floor, but vote was held over to today. Needs to pass with 2/3 of votes.
The great Ted Hearn has been covering telecom policy for 15 years. He just got laid off, but has launched a blog: http://bit.ly/bHDn
Fleeting “Jeremy Bentham” reference on The Colbert Report tonight. Somebody’s a Lost fan! Or a philosophy major.
The Presence of Things Not Seen
I have never bought the argument that Bush ought to get credit for America not getting attacked on his watch (except, you know, for the Sept. 11 atttacks and the anthrax attacks). How do you prove effectiveness by things that don’t happen? Maybe he prevented attacks and maybe they didn’t happen.
But now, some conservatives are very unhappy about the closing of Guantanamo Bay,...
Given that I have felt crappy & in a state of “can’t get warm” for a week, I have decided that perhaps I am ill.
Also exhausted, since I didn’t sleep last night. I have hit on the perfect solution: hot bath & hot toddy. Never had one before.
“Application?” “Actually, I’m more of a theorist.” (DMV joke on The Big Bang Theory)
Toddy tastes quite good, especially out of the Sherlock Holmes tankard my wife bought at 221B Baker Street in London. Ah, tradition!
Senate voted to delay DTV transition by unanimous consent. House may consider tomorrow.
http://twitpic.com/17lg5 - Another shot of Violet on vacation in Hawaii.
An industry colleague told me today that he stopped following me because I twitted too much. I confessed that might have been so.
Just heard that a 15 year cable trade veteran has just been laid off. Kind of shocking & not a good sign for that business.
Foodies on the prowl
I’m actually a pretty lazy and uninvolved foodie (which is to say that I enjoy good food, but can’t be bothered to read the blogs or watch the TV shows or do anything else). But I am fascinated by this new contretemps involving Alice Waters.
Here is an open letter that Alice Waters sent to President & Mrs. Obama. Here is a response from Anthony Bourdain. Here is an op-ed from the...
Star Trek: TNG going back into syndication. (http://bit.ly/yICv) Related in any way to the new presence of Trek actors on Twitter?
http://twitpic.com/17ag1 - Violet is on vacation in Hawaii.
No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else... →
Some incredibly filthy town names in the U.K.
Slumdog Millionaire: Mumbai's real slumdogs →
Photo essay on the real slumdogs of India and a look at slum tourism.
AT&T Store just told my daughter they can sell her an iPhone & put her on a plan that’s cheaper than current one. Hard to tell if true.
Any Wii game that’s physical (point & shoot, steer), I beat my wife. If mental (visual & strategic) in nature, she kicks my ass.
Slumdog Millionaire
I really enjoyed it. So far, it’s the only one of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen, so I can’t compare. Best enjoyed as a fairy tale, but it sure doesn’t gloss over the problems of India. My wife has been to Mumbai a number of times and she says it’s an accurate portrait of the city.
Loved Slumdog Millionaire (I keep spelling it wrong). Closing credits were thrilling.
Off to go see Slumdog Millionare.
Is That You, Sherlock? →
I guess we’ll have to see if this turns out well, like Murder by Decree (1979), or badly, like Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). However, it seems to me that a lot of the supposedly “new” characteristics they’re giving to Holmes are there in the original stories. Everything old is new again…
We just had a long leisurely dinner with a friend at Jackie’s in Silver Spring, MD.
Not Really a List of Liberals →
Forbes has a list of The 25 Most Influential Liberals In The U.S. Media, which turns out to be fatally flawed. Some people on the list are clearly liberal, such as Rachel Maddow and Matt Yglesias. Others, I would quibble at the label, but only a little. But a few people just aren’t liberals. NOT. For example, did you know that Andrew Sullivan, Christopher Hitchens, Fareed Zakaria, Fred...
Loved the scene in Lost’s season premiere between Sun & Kate, when Sun calls B.S. on Kate about making “tough choices.” Wicked.
Great video of Lost producers talking about time travel for this season. http://bit.ly/2jpZpY
Ring the Alarms
Okay, finally I’m going to say something, because this has been driving me crazy. All during the election, people would freak out over Obama. I’m referring to his supporters.
They’d go crazy. “He didn’t mention such-and-such.” “He didn’t say it forcefully enough.” “Why isn’t he responding?” “Why isn’t he...
WatchMash-up of Benny Hill, Doctor Who and Eminem (h/t Neil Gaiman). Credit should be given to Boots Randolph for “Yakety Sax.”
VIDEO: Making a Bacon Chocolate Bar →
Sweet & savory. Looks complicated, but probably tastes awesome.