Twitter Hack a Sign of War of the Future [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 18, 2009Twitter was taken down overnight by the Iranian Cyber Army - whoever that is. Welcome to war of the future.
It’s long been known that Russian, Chinese and other hackers have been mucking about in our computer networks. Little has been done to stop them (see 60 Minutes’ report on the vulnerability of our electric grid) and now private companies have to worry about being taken out. Overnight, Twitter.com was taken down for about an hour by an attack from a group that redirected the site to something called “Iranian Cyber Army.” No one knows who that is but it’s hardly a surprise that Twitter would be a target of Iranian subterfuge. After all, they facilitated communications during recent protests - to the point that the US government asked they postpone scheduled maintenance during the protests.
We are going to see more of these as hackers continue to stay miles ahead of US security efforts. And you thought wars of the future would play out on distant battlefields? Not anymore.
(0) Comments •NBA Takedown [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 06, 2009If you are under the impression that the NBA is fair, you might want to reconsider. Today on 60 Minutes, former referee Tim Donaghy blew the lid off many things - from his own betting on games to how the league favors certain players. It wasn’t pretty for anyone.
Of course Tim Donaghy is an acknowledged gambler who happened to be a referee in the NBA for decades. He bet on games for years and eventually was busted because the mob had muscled in on his action and they were being wiretapped by the FBI. All very reprehensible. But what happened next was surprising - Donaghy decided to blow the whistle on some bad league behavior on 60 Minutes, as well as in his new book.
Generally when crooks squeal, it’s to save their own hides and their stories have to be taken with a grain of salt. But Donaghy was the oddest kind of cheater - he gambled on tons of games and even on ones he officiated. But he says he never blew a call or caused the outcome to change. The FBI didn’t believe him but they watched tapes of the games and came away with the conclusion he told the truth. They even point to a game when he threw out the coach of the San Antonio spurs, which probably caused the team to lose the game - a team he had bet on. His mob “friends” were not happy but he was never found to have influenced a game.
But the real interesting part was his success rate as a bettor was over 70%. How could that be? Apparently the NBA has some very bad habits. Like playing favorites with players and teams. Refs apparently get pre-game information, the kind of info that helped him in his betting, but also that informed them of who was in and out in the league’s favoritism ranks. Even worse, since Donaghy knew that refs played favorites or penalized players they didn’t like, he had great intell other bettors did not have. For example, Allan Iverson was on the outs with refs - big surprise there - so in some crucial games opposing defenses pummeled him and he never got a foul call. The league apparently went further in the playoffs, encouraging long series and the success of big market clubs whenever possible. The NBA did not respond to 60 Minutes so there is no way to know for sure but it’s long been assumed that this has gone on.
In essence, it seems pro basketball is a stacked game. Favorite players get the benefit of the doubt while other players get poor treatment by refs. Are games fixed? No one is saying that. But they certainly don’t seem to be very fair.
(0) Comments •Pardon Polanski [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 01, 2009President Obama should pardon Roman Polanski and here’s why.
Yes, I know Obama is busy. He is shilling for the Olympics and starring in a reality show called “How Democrats Fail the American People” but this is important. Roman Polanski needs to be pardoned.
Sacre bleu! you say. He’s a sleazebag celebrity who’s been on the lam for 31 years. Okay, we grant you this but the fact is the statute of limitations long ran out on this crime. Polanski basically fled because the judge was going to throw the book at him after reneging on a plea deal. Polanski was clearly wrong to take advantage of a teenager but let’s not forget that she is the victim in all this. And she has forgiven him.
So Polanski should be pardoned why? Because of the victim who does not want to be dragged through this mess. It will affect her and her family as the circus comes to L.A. (why is that city such a circus? ah, I digress). Add in the fact that Polanski has over three decades of exemplary behavior and the extenuating circumstances of his pregnant wife being murdered - something he was accused of being a part of for days afterward, a clear case of racism. You’d be a little nuts too if that happened to you. See the 1976 film “The Tenant” if you don’t believe he was unwell at the time.
Again, this is not to excuse what Polanski did. But he’s been in sort of a prison for 31 years and now sits in a Swiss jail for no good reason. So if charges are not dropped, President Obama needs to do the right thing. Pardon this great artist before jail kills him.
(1) Comments •Got Humor? [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
April 01, 2008I remember from my childhood that April Fool’s Day was a day to show how good humored people could be. Nowadays, it seems like people are too busy attacking each other. So we look back at perhaps one of the best April Fool’s Day jokes ever.
The year was 1957 and the BBC ran an innocuous report about the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. I kid you not - spaghetti was a novelty back then and of course the world was not so sophisticated. But for a good laugh, here is the report itself complete with video. Enjoy.
(1) Comments • (0) TrackbacksWhere Has Our Culture Gone? [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
February 25, 2008In the last month, we have had three giant TV events designed for the mass audience and they all sucked. What is going on with American entertainment?
Yes, I include the Stupor Bowl, which this year was a snoozefest for 3/4s of its length and filled with inane commercials, commentary and histrionic fits of computer graphic diarrhea. Sure the last 15 minutes made up for most of it, but in terms of events - anything featuring a 60+ year old rocker as its centerpiece is hardly cutting-edge entertainment. And the pre-pre-pre game nonsense has just got to stop. Who cares?
Last night, we had the 80th Academy Awards and yes it was chock-full of stars since the pointless writers’ strike is over. We saw “safe” gowns, a “safe” ceremony and a “safe” host. It was all so buttoned-up that I longed for something with some character. Like a streaker. Yeah, streakers are good. Poor ABC would have to pay a fine, but Disney has got the dough. Regardless, the safe show had little mass appeal - prelim ratings are down 14% from the previous low rating. Seems America didn’t want to see awards given out to pinkos, non-English speakers and violence-obsessed Jews. A sad shame when you look at the edginess of the films - most of which no one outside of the big cities has seen. C’mon America, be adventurous. You can watch only so many Scary Movie sequels.
Also, this is the time of year when we are stuck with that most tactless of American spectacles, American Idol. Each year, this piece of crap contest foists more generic, untalented losers on the record buying public. The “music” promoted on this show is nothing short of genero-rock or snooz-a-soul junk that fills elevators and Kmarts across the country. The show has no edge, just wobbly performers trying to perfect their inner Celine Dion. Do we need music this bad? Of course not. Should we expect meaning out of our music? Hell yeah.
So my question is, has America gone soft? Do our entertainment vehicles have to be so watered down for the mass audience as to be rendered meaningless? Unfortunately, I already know the answer to that one.
(2) Comments • (1) TrackbacksWhat it Takes and Doesn’t Take to be Prez [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
February 18, 2008Cue Hail to the Chief. Today we celebrate Presidents - yes we’re sick of all of them except Washington, Lincoln and a couple of Roosevelts - but 200+ years into the country’s existence, have we made any real progress in our quest to elect honest, intelligent, even inspirational leaders?
Today we look at a real choice of three presidential candidates and I think, well this is progress. You have a woman, a mixed race essentially black man and a white guy. The white guy is not some billionaire or dilettante but a lifelong “servant” for the American people - whatever that means, I got it off his website. That seems like some sort of progress - more so when one of them actually gets to be president and is not the white guy. (Full disclosure, I am a white guy.)
But looking at it more, we see some things you can do to be president and some things you can’t do or be or say.
Top of the list used to be things like being black or a woman or divorced or Catholic or an actor or having taken drugs or draft dodging. Heck convicted of crime used to be on the list. We can safely say that all except the first two are no longer the case. Are we better off for it? Maybe not, but it does at least reflect reality. For a while it’s been show business that has pushed along society - a black woman winning an Oscar 25 years before the South was integrated or mixed race bands breaking out in the 60s. Now our culture looks like a melange of every color, creed and sexual orientation. Even our government has been transformed with more and more minorities and women over time. All that is good. Pat yourself on the back America…
But we have to look at the disqualifiers and see that maybe we have not totally climbed out of the muck.
- you can’t be gay or even bi-sexual
- you can’t promote the legalization of drugs
- you can’t be Mormon
- you can’t be a preacher
- you can’t be an agnostic or atheist and you must attend a church even if you don’t want to
- you can’t be single (we had a single prez but that would be impossible today)
- you can’t be vegetarian
- you can’t be a single parent
- you must have children (also not a requirement in the past but certainly one now)
- and don’t even think of being Jewish
Now, what does it in fact take to be prez - listen up kiddies: you should go to an Ivy League school, you should be or have been a lawyer, you should make lots of money (but not be too filthy rich), you should be white and a man and over the age of 60, you must go to some kind of Protestant church, you must be able to say the same thing over and over in front of lots of people, and most importantly of all - you must answer all questions indirectly and with platitudes. Oh yeah, and having the name of a former president remains very helpful.
Sheesh! Happy President’s Day everyone.
A Short Super Bowl Rant [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
February 03, 2008Ok, what gives? Geriatric Tom Petty playing wimp rock during the Super Bowl is bad enough but the once rightly-famous commercials are now just stupid and offensive.
Imagine aliens find a copy of tonight’s broadcast complete with commercials. They will call us the stupidest race in the galaxy. Our cultural excesses are now so out of proportion to reality as to make me cringe every time there is a commercial. And hope for long drives with no commercial breaks.
Most of the commercials were plain dumb, but some were far worse. Topping the list was the Career Builder ad where a heart jumps out of a woman’s chest and walks to the bosses’ office to quit. Gross. Close behind was the Doritos ad where a guy puts a dorito in a mouse trap and then sits to wait for the mouse. The mouse turns out to be a large guy in a mouse suit who busts through the wall and then pummels the guy who set the trap, presumably to death. Hah hah. Was it funny? No, it was sick.
Shall we talk about the movies promo’d during the broadcast. No, better not. Will Ferrell doing the umpteenth bad sports movie. Stupid kids movies. Stupid effects driven summer Hollywood drivel. Is this the best our country can do creatively?
The real thing is how much money is spent creating these spots - all in Hi-Def of course. But in place of ideas, we have the Rocky theme or Thriller for music, a star here or there - Shaq on a horse, Chris Kattan doing the What is Love? shtick from SNL, and lots of special FX. I’m all for production value, but dancing lizards or faux 1984 sneaker commercials have been done folks. Okay, the Thriller ad was cute for 10 seconds. But the longer it played the more I shuddered as I thought of that twisted sicko who created the song. What was his name? Oh yeah. Ugh.
Worst of all was the quality of the junk actually being pushed on us. Do we need more beer, more trucks, more “blockbusters,” and worst of all - more caffeine? Take Pepsi Max, one of the most offensive products ever advertised. Pepsi with extra caffeine and ginseng? Sounds gross to me. Just like the overall experience.
(2) Comments • (0) TrackbacksMan on the Moon [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 10, 2007Reuters has an interesting article today on the “Man on the Moon” syndrome and its relevance to our Iraq boondoggle. The syndrome refers to the belief around the world that since America put a man on the moon, it can do anything. Except of course that we can’t. That leads to a disconnect between what people like the Iraqis feel we can do and what we can actually do. The results, as we’ve seen, can be catastrophic.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksA New American Champion [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
July 04, 2007How low is our national self esteem when we start celebrating when an American can eat more hot dogs than anyone else? This publicity stunt turned international spectacle is of course the Nathan’s Hot Dog contest held every year in Coney Island. And this was the event’s most surreal edition ever.
The previous champ, Takeru Kobayashi, proved unbeatable in the contest the last few years. Meanwhile the powers at be - whoever they are - felt an American should win this most American of “sports”, overeating. So as the show moved to ESPN (!), it became a sheer spectacle of Americana, stupidity and crassness - complete with contestant nicknames like the “Black Widow” and fun facts about their triumphs on the Competitive Eating circuit - most Tiramisu eaten in 10 minutes! Kobayashi was rumored to have a jaw problem and the top challenger seemed poised for history. His name - Joey Chestnut. (No, I’m not making any of this up.)
Today came and Kobayashi was entered, but nowhere to be seen. Would he show? What drama! In the meantime, the folks at ESPN basically wrapped the flag around Chestnut. Alas, the event started and there was Kobayashi looking formidable as always. But quickly, Chestnut went out ahead and Kobayashi struggled to keep up. Who would win the 12 minute contest? Who would break the record - 59+ hot dogs?
Well, it was neck and neck. Chestnut never lost the lead and broke the record. It was close and tied at some point. One of the announcers, in a lather, called it the greatest moment in American sports or some such nonsense. I wish I had written down what he said but I was laughing too hard. In the end, America won and Chestnut was literally wrapped in the flag. Pat yourselves on the back America.
As for poor Kobayashi, he also broke the record in coming in 2nd (like John Kerry). He also lost his lunch in a very public and humiliating, for the Japanese, fashion. At the end, he wasn’t the only one who was sick to his stomach over the contest.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksThe Principles of Slow Food [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 30, 2006The sheer waste and destructiveness of modern agriculture and food production is massive, as anyone who does a bit of digging quickly learns. Thankfully, there is an organization called Slow Food started by Italians 20 years ago to support biodiversity and artisanal food producers around the world. This past weekend, Slow Food held a food convention and conference in Turin, Italy. It attracted over 150,000 people.
The focus of the show was artisanal, small producers from around the world. 160 countries were represented, either in the tasting or at the conference. At the conference, the emphasis was often on practical things that are being done - converting agricultural waste to fuel for example, modernizing the idea of the greenhouse to capture more energy, how we can preserve animal species and enjoy the taste of wild meats at the same time. This is heady stuff even for people in the food industry. And it’s not the esoteric nonsense that we Americans sometimes fall into with our numerous causes. Practical, progressive steps are being taken around the world as we speak.
Another buzzword was sustainability. Basically, this means fishing but not overfishing, respecting the land and limiting pesticides, using only the electricity necessary, etc. It is a simple principle on which the entire world was based on prior to industrialization. A lot of non-industrial areas of the world (the majority of landmass actually) only survive by being smart about growing and capturing practices. If they catch all the fish, how will they spawn new ones for next year? If all the water is diverted to a factory farm, the small farmers are out of luck. It’s a delicate balance we only have a vague understanding of in the U.S.
A few special examples:
In Norway, they have saved a rare breed of wild sheep by creating a market for products of the sheep. Yes, you can save animals by eating them. Why do you think we have so many cows? I will say that if you have never tasted unprocessed, wild meats, you are missing out on a whole level of taste.
The Imraguen women of Mauritania make bottarga, pressed fish roe, from mullet they catch in the national park on the coast called Arguin Bank. Only Imraguen fishermen can go into this area because their boats have no sails and no motors. They can only catch mullet from the end of October until January. This ensures generations access to the fish. Unfortunately, a middleman buys from them for very little money and keeps hefty profits. An organization like Slow Food aims to put the women together with a new distributor so they can earn a decent wage.
Kamal Mouzawak is the leader of the Lebanese delegation. He founded Souk El Tayeb, the first true farmer’s market in Beirut in 2004 - as opposed to their medinahs which are mainly full of cheap foreign goods - and he works to preserve the traditions of artisanal foods. One amazing product is a cheese that is wrapped in goatskin and fermented for 6 months. Some producers there have even gone organic - one might say gone back to organic. Kamal works through the market and also in schools to promote local producers and give them the proper recognition.
A lot of inspirational people went to Italy to share the culture of food. Because in the end, we are more similar than different and through food we can actually get along. It’s not a fantasy, at least it wasn’t during the conference. It just makes sense.
Bold Words [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
July 20, 2006More proof that everything is politics: my friend Clark Smith, a noted winemaker and consultant to wineries around the world, blogged yesterday about a very important topic that touches every industry - illegal immigration. His language is bold, his stand uncompromising and we agree 100%. Time to treat humans like humans and be thankful that others want to do the dirty jobs. Message to Congress - get the Senate immigration bill passed so illegals have a fighting chance for a real life.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksThe Nature of Evil [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
June 12, 2006I got a nice piece of correspondence from my credit card company today. Okay, one of my credit card companies. They wanted to help me take a tropical vacation. How thoughtful. They even had an idea how I could pay them for it.
You see, they sent me these checks and suggested I give myself a loan against my credit limit. I could loan myself all the money I needed for that trip and pay it back later. There’d be no balance fee and it would be treated as a regular purchase with my regular interest rate. They also said I might get myself a new computer or new couch. So much for saving up for those big purchases. But hey, those banks just think of everything!
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksRepublicans Give Themselves a Wedg [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
May 22, 2006It’s the Republicans’ turn to be the victim of a wedge issue. Immigration. It’s dividing their party irreconcilably in half and it’s about time. For years, Republicans voters have supported a party opposed to their economic interests. Not this time. If this is still on the table come November, it could cost the Republicans dearly.
Here’s how it works. Republican VOTERS want to wall off the United States. They want to take the 11 million illegal immigrants, men, women, and children, and maybe a few million of the legal immigrants as well, put them all on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, and sink it.
By contrast, Republican DONORS, mostly wealthy corporate interests, want a large, mobile, cheap, exploitable labor force that DOESN’T VOTE.
As always, Bush is siding with the MONEY. Can you really blame him?
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksHDTV speaks [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
April 12, 2006Some levity to start the day: TV Predictions.com brings us their slant on the 2008 presidential race (yes you will be sick of this race long before it starts, probably next year)… from the point of view of who looks best in HDTV! Superficial, but this is the country that voted for JFK because Nixon was a sweaty guy on TV! Winners - Hillary and John Edwards. Losers - McCain and Warner.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksThey Just Can’t Help Themselves Pt [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
April 10, 2006Did anyone believe that when the West Wing invented a nice guy moderate Republican, they’d let him win the White House? Of course not. Instead, he loses Nevada AND South Carolina while winning Maine! Sheesh, we knew this was a fantasy world but come on. I was rooting for Alda’s character because the fantasy needs to end. Liberals just can’t help themselves. Especially Hollywood ones. Somewhere John McCain is smiling…
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - Top 10 of 2 [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 30, 2005Okay, you asked for it - well you didn’t but screw that - here’s my top 10 of all that was cool in ‘05, culture-wise.
10. Over hyped Brit pop band Coldplay does not get Grammy nominations for Best Album or Record of the Year on account of Chris Martin’s becoming insufferably whiny and full of himself.
9. Chicago White Sox eliminate the curse of 1918 and win the World Series, just a year after the Red Sox vanquish their own demons. Cubs fans salivate at the possibility of hitting the trifecta.
8. The Daily Show and Jon Stewart for showing the news that others don’t and for keeping us sane.
7. Second albums that didn’t suck- stellastarr*, Franz Ferdinand and Gorillaz
6. Bill Maher for continuing to have the most engaging political discourse on TV with his HBO show Real Time.
5. Clooney’s movies get political- Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck are worth the price of admission. No longer a pretty boy, the guy has shown he can act too. Is Oscar the final element in his remarkable transformation?
4. Song of the year: “Feel Good Inc” by Gorillaz.
3. B bands- my fave new bands of the year are the Bravery and Bloc Party, both practitioners of propulsive, 80s-tinged pop.
2. Lost becomes a phenomenon. This wonderfully complex show cannot be praised enough for finally proving that Americans want to see diverse casts, multiple plot lines and characters you can sink your teeth into. 2005 is when it made the successful leap from cult classic to cultural force.
1. Americans finally wised up to the lies of the Bush regime.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - The Dumbest [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 09, 2005The New York Times made my job SO easy today. How? They actually published a story about Americans who pay Chinese people to play the lower rounds of online video games for them! Don’t believe it? Check it out. Talk about retarded. The Times has no credibility left in my book.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - All TV All [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
December 02, 2005Okay, there’s plenty good about American culture. Why, let’s look at the last week’s top TV shows and see how good things are.
#1- Desperate Housewives. Popular, I watch it. Laugh occasionally. Thought last year was really a good start. Nice looking cast. Can’t really complain.
#2- CSI, the original. The show celebrates science and deduction over emotion. That’s a good thing and impressive enough considering this is the highest ranked show of the last few years. Shows can be a bit exploitive, but characters are strong.
#3- CSI: Miami. A bit of a downer. Umm, pretty scenery? That Caruso has a job. Okay next…
#4- Grey’s Anatomy. Do we need another doctor show? Even if they are cute? Not doing so well… (In a normal non-holiday week, Lost is in this place or #3)
#5- Cold Case. Sheesh, more dead people. Lots of cheesy 80s and 90s music-filled flashbacks. Strong female character, like most of these shows. Guess it’s a girl’s world.
#6- Without A Trace. FBI show with great lead performance by Anthony LaPaglia, an Australian. Procedures interesting, stories somewhat less so. Does kick ER’s overrated butt, so that’s a good thing.
#7- Law and Order: SVU. What is this show? How many Law & Orders are there? Who cares?
#8- Lost. What can I say about the most densely written, fantastical, complex show to ever be on American television? That it only gets better? The season has been a bit uneven but when this show is on, it is mesmerizing. The characters are first-rate, smart and the viewer is respected. I’ve written this one to death…
#9- FOOTBALL. They get the good games these days. Doesn’t this go onto cable starting next year?
#10- Survivor. The inspiration for Lost? Never got into the dog-eat-dog aspect of this silly show.
#11- Some crappy Sunday movie
#12- NCIS. Okay who the hell watches this show? Mark Harmon has a job? Christ.
#13- Two and a Half Men. We’re really losing my interest now. Sheen belongs in rehab for something.
#14- 60 Minutes. CBS breaks its losing streak here with real thought provoking stuff. Although these football players are losing their appeal. I don’t care if you trying to bridge audiences. That Brady guy may know how to throw a ball but I’m sick of looking at him.
#15- Extreme Makeover. What is this crap?
#16- CSI:NY. Haven’t watched this show since the beginning when it was dark and had more murders in a week than NYC has in a year.
#17- House. Hey, we love foreigners. Especially the Brits. This one features a wacky Brit doctor with a snide sense of humor. Good fun, if a bit gruesome at points.
#18- Out of Practice. CBS? What the hell is this show?
#19- Medium. Some Arquette seeing dead people. Not to be confused with another actress who can’t get film work talking to dead people on CBS.
#20- More NFL.
Let’s review, death, cops, doctors, lots of cute chicks. And some football. Not much to laugh at these days. A few years ago this list would’ve been mostly comedies. Do we all need to lighten up? Heck maybe we just need a drink. Have one on me folks, especially if you’re going to watch that Charlie Sheen show.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - Cruisin’ fo [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
November 18, 2005What is it with Tom Cruise anyway? His smile fade? Back-to-back shellackings at the hands of South Park and the Daily Show certainly are a shocking turnabout for America’s former male sweetheart.
This week was one of the funniest episodes in quite a while for South Park as it took on Tom “in the closet” Cruise and everybody’s favorite evil cult, the Scientologists. Apparently Mr. Cruise was depressed and hid in the closet. Everyone tried to get him to come out. Meanwhile, Stan was some kind of prophet and was supposed to keep the scam going since unfortunately long-dead cult founder L. Ron Hubbard has stopped writing books. CNN apparently tried to play it both ways by “examining” the issue to see if the show went too far. How stupid is that?
A night later, the Daily Show took on Tom Cruise too. Of course it was the usual silliness with some “correspondent” who was a bit of a moron if you ask me. And some poor shmuck from Radar Magazine. Shocking expose of a tough subject- how do those nasty tabloids get their news? From publicists. Shock of all shocks! Where do you get your news? Tabloids? Hmm.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - A Dog’s Wor [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
November 04, 2005It didn’t take long before I had to go negative on Friday Culture Clash, but really- DogCatRadio.com. Do we need this? I don’t think so…
The geniuses at the New York Times actually wrote a feature length article about this “phenonmenon” which is basically a guy who has too many animals and too much time on his hands trying to cash in on the U.S.’ pet obsession.
Did you know 31% of U.S. households have dogs? That’s a lot of poop to scoop. 63% of us have pets. (I don’t so I have to tread carefully now) Of course pets are a big business. Pet heathcare, pet food, pet clothes, pet stylists (for celebrities naturally), pet spas, sheesh. Maybe some of that money should be devoted to some worthy charity?
Back to culture, the guy who started this silly radio station isn’t producing shows full of barking and meowing. He’s put together pop treacle such as “Who Let the Dogs Out” or “How Much is that Doggy in the Window” for your pooch or kitty sitting at home bored silly. (They’re not you know, they’re asleep). Even stranger, there is a show in Spanish. I guess that’s for bilingual pets! Of couse pets can’t buy stuff so this is meant to appeal to consumers which will in turn bring in advertisers.
Okay, maybe I’m just mad I didnt’ come up with it. I wish I had invented the cup holder and that paper sleeve that fits on a Starbucks cup too. Always behind the consumer trend curve!
(1) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - Alternate R [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 28, 2005America seems to operate on two different levels of reality- the reality we live in everyday, aka the drudgery of modern life, and reality TV shows, which of course are nothing of the sort. Except maybe when it comes to responsibility. On reality TV, somebody always pays. Last night on The Apprentice, the Donald demonstrated how important responsibility is, at least to him. If only his fellow Republicans followed his example.
Reality TV has come under a lot of fire for being stupid, demeaning, perhaps the basest form of American culture. And not real. I won’t dispute that or say I particularly love reality TV, save certain programs I watch because, well they’re there or I think the concept is interesting. (Sorry folks, no diatribes here.)
For those non-fans of The Apprentice, let’s see how quickly I can set this up: The Apprentice is a team-based elimination show where the ultimate winner becomes Donald Trump’s lackey in some corporate endeavor. Each week there is a task and the losers face a climactic battle in the boardroom where someone gets fired.
Last night, for the first time ever, 4 people got fired at one time. Why? ‘Cause the Donald was pissed off. The team had lost in the worst fashion ever in four seasons. So he brought four people into the boardroom and instead of firing one as is tradition, he canned them all. They, and I, were stunned.
I will admit that I saw something coming. They certainly didn’t. Was this suddenly a sense of accountability flaring up in America? The land of shift the blame, deflect the argument, massage the message? It certainly was a breath of fresh air. Especially considering Plame-gate and the president’s backing off his original “I’ll fire anyone charged” statement to “uh, we’ll see...” Of course when blame circled around his top advisers, the excuses and pussy-footing took over.
So was the White House watching last night? Did they read it in the papers? Certainly Scooter didn’t get the can. He resigned. DeLay resigned his leadership post. Even George Tenet, a Clinton appointee wasn’t fired after 9/11 and instead got a medal. In fact to date no one has been fired from the administration for incompetence, lying, thieving, any offense at all. Exactly no one.
So is the Donald a better role model than the power hungry cabal running DC these days? Yeah he may have his financial issues. And the biggest ego this side of a rap star. But at least he believes in the need to be responsible for something. That was W’s line, remember? Last night, at least, someone wasn’t paying lip service to the concept.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - We Need a H [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 21, 2005Americans seem to have a strange connection to fictional characters. Case in point, the new James Bond being bandied about this week.
A lot of people like to argue over Bond. Why exactly is beyond me- though I have seen every Bond film at least twice including the awful non-Bond version of Casino Royale, which finally is back in the fold and will serve as the basis for this new tougher Bond. And I’ve seen a lot of the spoofs as well. A lot, like the Austin Powers were well done because Bond was such an obvious target with their overblown villains and laughable sexism.
The new Bond was Pierce Brosnan who I would count a strong contender for the throne of Connery. Yeah the movies weren’t as good, except for Goldeneye anyway. But they had moments. Heck in the last one Bond got tortured and there seemed to be hints at darkness. But alas they went over the top with special effects and made the most money ever. What do I know?
Brosnan was dumped at the side of the road about a year ago because he was too old. And you thought only women in Hollywood were victims of ageism. He had wanted to do one more, likely because of the stink left behind by the last one. But a highly publicized search looked at every Brit actor around and came up with Daniel Craig!?! To say he’s a nobody is almost an insult to nobodies. He specializes in creepy, so who knows how he’ll play Bond. But we’re promised a darker, edgier film a la Batman Begins. And since Craig is 37 and cheap, maybe he’ll get about 5 films in. Assuming the direction of the films doesn’t kill the box office.
And by the way, Craig is blond. He is a real Brit, not a Scot like Connery or Brosnan. But the media just couldn’t get past the blond thing. What are we twelve? Of course, that the media fixated on this as much as it did says a lot. That I’m writing about it says a lot about me too. Heck I was hoping Clive Owen would get it. He’s a real actor. Alas we’re stuck with Mr. Gloom and Doom. Let’s hope he doesn’t muck it up.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash - On Animatio [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 14, 2005What does it say about western culture when some of our most relevant films are animated, full of fantastic creatures and lacking in real life actors? That cartoons aren’t just for kids anymore.
Look at the output of animation in the last few years- the quality is staggering. The Incredibles, Wallace & Gromit, Shrek (and the sequel to a lesser extent), Chicken Run, South Park, the Simpsons, even Family Guy has its moments. So is it the creative freedom of the medium or the challenge of producing something that has appeal to both parents and children?
Beats me, but lets take The Incredibles as an example. The film is a tour-de-force of talent, real characters, laugh out loud comedy and some of the coolest set design around. It uses animation in ways we’ve never seen before to create new worlds while paying homage to the Fifties and Modernism. I had to catch my breath several times at the sheer wonder of it all. Why couldn’t George Lucas achieve this level of beauty with his Star Wars finale? Because he’s lame, that’s why.
So what is to explain Wallace & Gromit being number 1 at the box office? Sure kids dragged their parents. But there are plenty of adults who loved the shorts and Nick Park is undoubtedly a genius. I think we all secretly think that our pets are damn smart and we obviously identify with a brilliant dog who does, instead of speaks. Here’s an interesting stat- the cheese used to revive poor daft Wallace in the movie is called “Stinking Bishop.” It does stink, that I can attest to. But since the movie came out, demand has spiked 500% for this crazy cheese according to the guy who makes it. Truly bizarre. Just remember, no Merlot with it. Got it?
I need to say something about TV, that oft-berated medium that produces much of our culture. Adult animation has found a home there in the last few years, and I’m not talking about “Adult Swim.” Starting with the Simpsons then moving on to South Park, our culture has been justly skewered in every way. These shows are always borderline vulgar and yet genius at the same time. True the Simpsons is pretty tired after all these years and I don’t watch it any more. But South Park still has a subversive vitality that I enjoy when I catch it. New episodes start on October 19.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksFriday Culture Clash [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
October 07, 2005It’s Friday and that means culture time on OutrageNation. Here I will try, perhaps in vain, to cut through the crap to talk about what’s good and what’s great out there. This week, the runaway success of Lost and the brooding beats of NYC-based stellastarr*.
In a sense, it’s unbelievable that Lost has gotten even better in its second season. A lot has been written about it, about the show’s genius for both character and story arcs that expand like the universe, uncovering layer upon layer until you arrive at naked humanity- raw emotion, the need for companionship, the ability to survive against all odds. This is heady stuff and never before shown on television with such forcefulness. This year they’ve ramped it up, they added more characters, more twists and a very real sense of danger at every turn. Sheer brilliance.
Of course, Americans weren’t supposed to be interested in this stuff. The complex plots, the abundance of characters, the weaving back and forth through time. Everyone thought we just wanted simple stories that could be solved in 60 minutes. Man, were they wrong. So what do American TV networks give us this year? Alien shows. Sometimes you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
The same can be said for a music industry that appears on its last legs. A lot of great music is still being produced, but who is buying it at this point? And how do you break new bands when the radio is being run into the ground by corporations afraid of offending anyone?
Case in point is stellastarr*, an up-and-coming band led by singer/artist/writer Shawn Christensen. They are a classic four piece group who play a tight show and seem not to be caught up the rock star ego thing that destroys too many bands headed for greatness. While they are often pigeon-holed as one of the 80’s retread bands, they have managed to put out two of the best albums of this decade. Shamefully, radio airplay is elusive and they haven’t reached a mass audience- yet.
Their new album, “Harmonies for the Haunted” certainly is suffused with the haunted feeling we all have, having been set adrift in this world, trying to find a bit of companionship as we find our place. Meaning becomes something fleeting and relationships illusory. Yet the album also rocks and it has grown on me the way all good albums do- getting their hooks in so deep that you see the soul behind the music.
I asked Christensen recently about politics and his response was basically that he didn’t feel people were interested in his opinion. I guess there are enough pontificators in the entertainment business. But what he and his bandmates have hit on still results from our current political climate- a kind of grasping at life and its mysteries. Indeed it is something that is shared by the characters on Lost too. The planet keeps spinning and people keep doing inexplicable things. We can get used to it, but why would we want to?
Go out and get their two albums. Listen three times each. Then tell me I’m wrong. They’re also on tour right now- they play a hell of a show. The website is stellastarr.com. Lost, as the entire free world knows, is on ABC Wednesdays at 9pm EST/PST.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksEven Their Wedge Issues are Wither [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
September 14, 2005With the Bush Regime’s fitness to lead called into question more than ever before, one wonders what wedge issue the Republican right-wingers will fall back on in next year’s Congressional elections. It turns out that same-sex marriage is losing its luster. Today, a joint session of the Massachusetts state legislature voted 157-39 to kill a proposed amendment to the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
In the words of state Sen. Brian Lees, a Republican who had co-sponsored the amendment a year ago, ‘’Gay marriage has begun, and life has not changed for the citizens of the Commonwealth, with the exception of those who can now marry.’’
So here’s a new one: let’s toast the legislature (!) of the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When did you ever think you’d feel that way about a legislature, any legislature?
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksAge of Mediocrity [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
September 06, 2005Much has been written about the C list president and then alone came Kerry, who scored worse than him while spending too much time Skullin’ about Yale. Much will be written about the piss poor job that was done to save the people in New Orleans, with political hacks and bureaucracy impeding the effort at every point. And why exactly is it our society is sinking to mediocrity at every stage?
I may sound like a complainer but I’m really pissed off about this. This is America and things are supposed to be great here. Yet, everywhere I look, I am furious.
When I fly a local Argentinian airline and score better food than on American Airlines (which can’t even get its planes off the ground when I take them), that’s bad. Why should I pay $5 for a mediocre California wine coming from Argentina? It defies the imagination. When the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has barely been a judge longer than the president who appoints him has been president, I get worried. And when no one cares that Americans speak proper English or that we have no philosophers, poets or geniuses left, I get frightened. The list goes on and on- our movies stink and no one wants to go to the cinema! Our politicians are corrupt and stupid- why vote for them? Our airlines suck, our food is mediocre and full of chemicals and garbage, our cars get poor gas mileage, our infrastructure is falling apart, our healthcare is run by HMOs that everyone hates. On and on it goes.
The first world continues to slip away from America, our grasp on our greatness keeps slipping too.
(1) Comments • (0) TrackbacksJust Nuts [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
August 14, 2005This isn’t the biggest news item of the day, but it is indicative of a sickness in our society. New York 1 News is reporting the hotel employee Russell Crowe threw a phone at is going to settle with him for $11 million. And Russell gets to walk instead of facing assault charges? Now that’s just nuts. Remember how Michael Jackson once bought his way out of a compromising positon with a young boy. Watch for more bad behavior from Mr. Crowe in the future. The guy’s a class A creep.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksWhy All the Hand Wringing? [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
August 07, 2005For most of the summer, there has been much hoo-hah in the media over the year long slump of the film industry. You see, year on year box office numbers are down even in the face of ever increasing ticket prices. On top of that you have payola scandals in the music business and the still-splintering TV market obsessed with DVR ad-skipping technology. So who exactly gives a crap about this?
Well, if you haven’t noticed, our main export now is culture. And without big hit movies to send overseas, our trade deficits go up. We don’t produce much the world wants but they do want our culture. And not all of them want to fly all the way to Disney World. Of course Hollywood responds the way they always do- produce movies that stink and no one wants to see. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the big movies the last few weeks. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (remake), Dukes of Hazzard (blatant excuse to show off Jessica Simpson’s body AND a remake), Must Love Dogs (tired bundle of cliches- look at the pretty actors fall in love, hit a few obstacles and then wind up together!). Before that you had such genius remakes as Love Bug, Bewitched and the not-so-Bad News Bears, a purer example of the decline of American culture you could not find. Take a subversive 70s fick that offended everyone and smooth it out for kids with dumb jokes and a scene at Hooters. Thanks but no thanks.
In reality, Hollywood has always been clueless. The studios churned out tons of films in the early days and just by sheer volume you got some classics and a bunch of dreck. No one remembers the dreck. Luckily most of it has decomposed. Unfortunately, the drug fueled golden age of Hollywood was too self-indulgent to last. It dates from about 1968 - 1975, the same time as a lot of other cool stuff happened in our cultural history. Then everyone learned how much money could be made on blockbusters. Another coincidence came when a generation rebelled (mine!) and started watching independent films and listening to underground music- the late 80s and early 90s. Of course we eventually got suckered into the money and lost our edge. Now we’re stuck with Coldplay and watching Penguin movies with our kids. Box office returns become just part of the fuzzy news landscape. How good was Star Wars? Who cares, it made $100 million in the first week! If you missed out, you’re a loser. You used to be a loser if you didn’t know who the Rollins Band was. Ah the good ole days.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksThe “Education President” is Back [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
August 03, 2005...and he wants your kids to learn about “Intelligent Design” in school. That’s right, under direct questioning by actual journalists, Bush advocates that kids in public schools that receive your tax dollars should be taught that it’s possible or likely that evolution, the scientific foundation of biology and all related sciences, is a lie?
Let’s get this straight: just because Bush and his delusional fundamentalist followers are too dumb to understand evolution doesn’t mean that life had to have been created by a superior being. Of course by that definition, a superior being would be any competent high school biology student.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksToo Ugly For Words [ by Michael T] [Culture Clash]
July 28, 2005I got this press release today about BeautifulPeople.net: “BeautifulPeople.net, the elite online social networking club so exclusive that its members choose which applicants are beautiful enough to join them, launched in the US after successful runs in the UK, Denmark and Sweden.” Disgusting. If you want to see the power of PR- check out the coverage in USA Today (sorry I’m not linking to that fluff piece). Now I’m a pretty good looking guy, but really do pretty people need any more advantages? Statistics show they are richer, more successful, happier, etc…
So how do I get on BeautifulPeople.net? Apparently submit a photo and wait for the democratic process to happen. Over 3 days, members will vote on the photo and then either “I’m In” or “I’m Out” to paraphrase the lovely Heidi Klum (Project Runway, yes I should get a life). If “I’m In” then I get to hang with the beautiful people, hopefully get a hot chick on my arm and maybe a new ferrari with all my social contacts. Woo hoo!
Does anyone else see something wrong with this vapid website and the smarmy folks sure to dominate the in-group? This is like high school except much worse. And USA Today softballed them for 5 or 6 paragraphs. Too shame.
(2) Comments • (0) TrackbacksMythed Off [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
July 10, 2005At the Tulsa Zoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma, officials were recently ordered to put up an exhibit extolling the Creation according to Genesis as a sort of equal time quid pro quo to the zoo’s evolution exhibit. That’s right, Oklahomans’ tax dollars subsidized a public equivocation of science in the context of a scientific exhibit at a public and publicly financed amenity, the local zoo. The pretext of this discordant outrage was the existence at the zoo of an elephant sculpture of Ganesh, the Hindu god of harmony.
The thinking of the local Christian fundamentalists was that the Hindu symbolism was an opportunity to promote a little religion of their own, and they persuaded a majority of local officials including the mayor that they should go along.
What followed of course was the expected disaster that accompanies any mixing of church and state, of religion and science on that level. Local citizens correctly and publicly feared that their community would become a laughingstock. How was it resolved?
To paraphrase our fearless and conscienceless Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, if a problem is unsolvable, make it bigger. How does that work? It brings to bear resources that would otherwise be unavailable. So the exhibit was expanded further to include the creation mythology of other religions, including that of Indian tribes local to the Tulsa area, like the buzzard in Cherokee lore that gouged out the valleys and mountains. There are needless to say hundreds of such myths, and before long, the Tulsa officials were forced to back down.
There are lessons to be learned here as we sentient, rational, secular people combat the global onslaught of myths, lies, and half-truths that exist in service of one prejudice or another. Use them against one another. There are countless religions and myths, but only one science.
(1) Comments • (0) TrackbacksOur Civil Liberties Take a Double [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
July 01, 2005With the retirement of Sandra Day O’Connor, who has singlehandedly muddled America’s culture war more than any other human, Bush will now likely get two chances to cement his right-wing ideology in the Supreme Court. The recent truce on Senate filibusters will mean next to nothing in this battle. Bush is sure to seek an in-your-face confrontation, and the sad fact is most rational Americans really don’t care much. Supreme Court appointments are hot-button issues only with the most committed core of partisan voters. But we know what the stakes are.
Most previews of the pool of likely nominees indicate that both the appointments will be of the Scalia-Thomas mold, far to the right of O’Connor, and even a little to the right of where the gravely ill Rehnquist is now. That pushes the upholding of Roe v Wade from a 6-3 majority to 5-4. The list of 5-4 decisions that will now go the other way is too long to catalog here.
If you thought that Congress’s shrill partisan paralysis has been unseemly lately, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Nobody is going to come out of this smelling good. And that’s the good news.
(0) Comments • (0) TrackbacksSymbols are for the Symbol Minded [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
June 27, 2005The Supreme Court’s split decision on Ten Commandments displays has culture warriors left and right wringing their hands in consternation. Who cares? While we wretch about biblical history, America’s debts balloon out of control, and America’s wars spiral out of control. Can we all just step back and worry about what really matters?
(1) Comments • (0) TrackbacksAmerica’s Right-Wing Training Camp [ by James Linkin] [Culture Clash]
June 22, 2005As I’ve said all along, America’s right wing is far more organized and willing to work than the rest of us. Understand our adversary. Read this Salon piece by Jeff Horwitz about “Morton Blackwell’s Leadership Institute, alma mater of Karl Rove, Ralph Reed, Jeff Gannon, and two Miss Americas.”
http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2005/05/25/blackwell/index.html
Between this and the internships at the Heritage Foundation, the forces of reason are falling farther behind every day. Isn’t there anyone out there willing to fund training for youth activism among liberals and moderates??
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