Candyvan

Links of the day 8/26/09

2009-08-26T16:18:00.004-04:00

Get naked in the Standard Hotel
Health care debate explained on napkins
Books without jackets
A guide for all of us American soccer fans

I get ridiculous voicemail sometimes

2009-08-24T18:50:00.002-04:00

Sometimes Willie and Collin call me from Wisconsin and leave me messages:

Download Voicemail 1.wav
Download Voicemail 2.wav

Yep, watch out for the Romulans . . . thanks guys.

Images

2009-08-24T18:27:00.004-04:00

Dope Outfits Gentlemen!

2009-08-24T18:18:00.001-04:00

Raise It Up

Poptastraphe Podcast #3 – Electric Days

2009-05-01T15:56:00.002-04:00

Poptastraphe Podcast #3 – Electric Days

The past week was a busy one for me. From heatwaves to heartache, girlfriends to best friends, rooftops to sporting life in the park. And of course, who can forget margaritas in the sun? False summer days in the middle of April are leading into electric days at the beginning of May. Here’s a selection of tracks that have propelled my through the past week. Hope you enjoy.

The Drew-Vels – It’s My Time
Four + 1 – Don’t Lie to Me
Martha & The Vandellas – (Love Is Like A) Heatwave
The Tartans – My Baby Doesn’t Care for You
Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
The Feelies – On the Roof
Speedmarket Avenue – Way Better Now
Comet Gain – Love Without Lies
Alice Dona – C’est Pas Prudent
The Elgins – Heaven Must Have Sent You
J.J. Barnes – Every Time I See You, I Go Wild!
Kim Weston – Helpless
Jenny Moss – Hobbies
Marcy Jo – Take A Word
The Four Tops – I’ll Turn to Stone
Caroline Munro – This Sporting Life

Poptastraphe Podcast #2

2009-03-25T16:56:00.000-04:00

Back again with another edition of the Poptastraphe Podcast, an irregularly published set of soul/girl group/indie-pop/low-fi tracks from yesteryear to today! This time around it's up with spring feelins and time to shake off that winter ennui! Hope you enjoy.

Poptastraphe Podcast #2

Track Listing:

The Vevelettes - "Needle In A Haystack"
Polly Perkins - "Young Lover"
The Pebbles - "Cavern Stomp"
Heavenly - "Atta Girl"
KG - "Candy Loves Me So"
The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa - "What's"
Sexy Kids - "Sisters Are Forever"
Television Personalities - "Part Time Punks"
Owen Gray - "Lonely Days"
Christine Holmes - "Here Comes My Baby"
Ria Bartok - "See If I Care"
Chris Clark "Love's Gone Bad"
Death - "Keep On Knocking"
Wavves - "To The Dregs"
Boyracer - "He Gets Me So Hard"
Tiger Trap - "My Broken Heart"
Big Gun - "Heard About Love"
Moss Poles - "One Summer"

Poptastraphe Podcast

2009-01-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

Here for your listening (dis)pleasure is the very first inaugural edition of the Poptastraphe Podcast, assembled by yours truly. The first edition is filled with sweet indiepop jams and some girl group tracks thrown in for good measure. Hope you enjoy!

Poptastraphe Podcast # 1

Track Listing:

Linda Laine - "Low Grades & High Fever"
Angels - "Wow Wow Wee"
The Tartans - "My Baby Doesn't Care for You"
The Paralellograms - "Without You"
The Halo Benders - "Your Asterisk"
James Dean Driving Experience - "Dean's Eleventh Dream"
Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To"
Chefs - "24 Hours"
Crystal Stilts - "SinKing"
Moscow Olympics - "Second Trace"
Comet Gain - "Love Without Lies"
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "A Teenager In Love"
Je Suis Animal - "Secret Place"
Buba & The Shop Assistants - "Something to Do"

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Everything With You"

2009-01-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

Open Note to Senate Dems.

2009-01-05T21:05:00.003-05:00

A word of political advice to Senate Democrats: Do not seat Burris. I know that 2-years of Congressional majority has proven you folks to be utterly inept. I know that there are currently no Black people in the Senate. By seating this man you will only be confirming the ineffectiveness of the political management skills that have been showcased since you came into the majority. Of course Republicans want you to seat a Senator appointed by a Democratic Governor who is under corruption charges, from a state with a long history of political corruption, that happens to be the home-state of the incoming Democratic President.

[Politico]

Why Do People Still Care About Soulja Boy?

2009-01-05T20:48:00.004-05:00

I'm entirely happy if these are in fact the dudes that robbed Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy is an idiot who publicly makes statements like this:

"Oh wait! Hold up! Shout out to the slave masters! Without them we'd still be in Africa. We wouldn't be here to get this ice and tattoos."

The Lodger - The Good Old Days

2009-01-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

Straight from Leeds, UK. This has been stuck in my head all week after discovering The Lodger on a few "Best of 2008" lists.

More VA Politicking

2009-01-04T17:17:00.003-05:00

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has been chosen by President-elect Obama to head the Democratic National Committee, a Democratic official said.

[Politico]
[WP]

Why Talk When You Can Blow Stuff Up?

2009-01-04T15:50:00.002-05:00

Efforts at diplomacy:

"We are serious in our intention to harm Hamas and we have no intention to give them legitimize them and pass messages on to them. We have nothing to discuss with Hamas." - Tzipi Livini, Israeli Foreign Minister

[Haaretz]

Terry McAuliffe Throws His Name into the Hat

2009-01-04T15:34:00.002-05:00

Solidarity With The People of Gaza and Palestine

2009-01-04T00:09:00.003-05:00

What follows is a full reprint of the Third World Solidarity Movement statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine:

SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF GAZA AND PALESTINE!!!

The Israeli armed forces, a proxy force for U.S. imperialism in the region, has began to invade Gaza after its continuing siege, land-and-sea blockade. border-occupation and captivity of the region. Aside from a criminal enforced starvation of the Gaza economy people, it has unleashed a criminal and holocaust-like mega-terrorist attack against and collective punishment of Gaza civilians, including the killing of over 100 children from bombing with U.S. aircraft, artillery, tanks, explosives and satellite assistance. And yet, it trumpets the lie that there is no humanitarian disaster in Gaza, despite the United Nations conclusion that there is.

It is Wall Street, U.S. imperialism and the neo-con Bush regime that is the principal backer, funder (4 billion dollars per year in military aid), war-technology supplier of the Zionist state, that renders non-Jews, Arabs and Palestinians as second-class citizens, refugees and colonial subjects. Bush aims to add to Iraq and Afghanistan a victim of his neocon and pro-Zionist agenda and a concentration camp of U.S., British and proxy Israeli troops. With American taxpayer money, Bush continues to bail out the Zionist aggression machinery.

Obama is now revealing his true colors as a closet neocon and pro-Zionist Bushite, nurtured by his ties to top Zionist lobbyist Ram Emmanuel and Axelrod. He virtually endorsed and gave the green light to the massacres and invasion with his statement that Israel has a right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket attacks, and his deafeningly silent acquiescence to the slaughter of the Palestinian people.

The Bush-Obama imperialist war machine and its Israeli Zionist proxy forces are able to persecute the border-occupation of Gaza and the internal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem with the aid of their puppets and agents controlled by the Central Intelligence Agency: Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Karzai of Afghanistan, Malaki of Iraq, and the collaborator Mahmoud Abbas, who has utterly betrayed the Palestinian cause. The current events show that there is no Middle East solution that involves a Zionist state, and only a no-Zionist-state will solve the Palestinian problem.

We therefore call for the following actions:

1. Condemn and protest the Wall Street-Bush-Zionist megaterrorist border-occupation and invasion of Gaza!

2. Condemn and protest the Wall Street-Bush-Zionist anti-civilian atrocities against the people of Gaza and Palestine!

3. Protest the Obama continuation of and acquiescence to the neocon Bush pro-Zionism and Israeli megaterrorism!

4. Reject, boycott and storm symbols of U.S. business and imperialism, including Citibank, Exxonmobil, Chevron, McDonalds!!!

5. Reject and boycott Israeli exports, such as diamonds!

6. Condemn, reject and remove U.S.-CIA puppets in the Middle East, including Abbas in Palestine, Mubarak in Egypt, Abdullah in Jordan, Karzai in Afghanistan, and Malaki in Iraq!

7. Stop the neocon Bushite and Zionist bailout of the Israeli war machine with U.S. taxpayer money!!!

8. Reject a Zionist state solution and support a no-Zionist-state solution!!

9. Support the heroic Palestinian resistance to smash the U.S.-Israeli occupation and drive away the Zionist aggressors!!!

THIRD WORLD SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

Escalation

2009-01-03T19:15:00.004-05:00

And the invasion of Gaza begins . . .

JERUSALEM — Israeli tanks and troops swept across the border into Gaza on Saturday night, opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas after a week of intense airstrikes.

[NYT]

Harold Bloom and Those Kids Today

2009-01-03T16:24:00.003-05:00

A pleasantly charming interview with Harold Bloom ranging from the state of contemporary literary criticism (there is none) to tips on how to read Shakespeare. There's something whimsical about Bloom's standing passion for a textually focused form of criticism that illuminates the intellectual and emotional process of reading literature.

[Vice]

Hindsight is 20/20

2008-12-24T22:10:00.002-05:00

My favorite prediction from "The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008":

“[A]nyone who says we’re in a recession, or heading into one—especially the worst one since the Great Depression—is making up his own private definition of ‘recession.’” —Donald Luskin

[FP]

Some Holiday Reading Material

2008-12-22T22:23:00.002-05:00

Well the end of 2008 is upon us which of course means a bevy of "Best of Lists" to fill-up the remainder of the holiday (read: phoning it in) season. My favorite thus far has been Conor Friedersdorf's "Best of Journalism 2008". From more than you ever needed to know about elevators to the intersection of B'more drug dealers and white supremacist legal theory, Friedersdorf maps out the esoteric landscape of media coverage that was 2008.

[Culture11]

DC Turns into a Real City for the Night

2008-12-03T21:10:00.003-05:00

Good news DC. Inauguration Night 2009, last call shifts to 5 a.m., because it's not like you were going to be able to make it back home anyway.

Yes We Can ... Drink til 5 a.m.!

"Big Daddy" Takes Georgia (Hide Your Childrens)

2008-12-03T15:16:00.004-05:00

Saxby Chambliss Wins Georgia Senate Runoff [NYT]

Burn! Baby! Burn!

2008-10-14T13:30:00.003-04:00

Looks like some folks are jumping the gun on the whole 'burning your car for warmth' heating system we're all going to be using this winter. Maybe their using the insurance money they've gained from burning the first car to buy more cars to burn?

[Washington Post]

Thugginest

2008-10-07T12:11:00.002-04:00

Do yourself a favor an read this old school Noreaga interview. I would attempt to give you a description of why it's so amazing, but honestly you'll figure it out by the first paragraph.

[Cocaine Blunts]

New York(er) Makes Its Choice

2008-10-04T13:52:00.003-04:00

This doesn't really come as a surprise--big understatement or biggest understatement?--but The New Yorker has issued its editorial endorsement of Barack Obama. It's quite a wordy piece, but it is well worth reading as a a summation of the issues, qualities, and character traits that the American people are going to be making their judgments on this November, and why Obama--over McCain--is suited to lead our country for the next 4-years.

[The New Yorker]

Fishy Finances

2008-10-03T13:51:00.002-04:00

Prison culture will soon spread into the the mainstream again--and not just because our future hovel apartments will look like cells--as fish will become the currency of choice, displacing the declining dollar. As your financial adviser in this "new economy", I strongly urge you to convert all of your assets into Mackerel.

[WSJ]

Basket Teenagers

2008-10-02T13:37:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe this actually happening. What with our impending economic destruction and all, people are actually just giving away their children?!?!? These young people are going to be valuable agents in our new world economy when their nimble little fingers will prove essential in catching the rats that are to soon make up our primary food source.

Plus, when the machines break down in the factories of our Chinese overlords, who else is going to be able to climb into the gears?

[NYT]

Governor McAuliffe?

2008-08-31T17:44:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy week so I ended up missing this piece of Virginia political speculation until now:

Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a key adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), is considering running for governor of Virginia next year.

With Del. Brian J. Moran and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds as the only two announced candidates for the spot thus far, McAuliffe certainly adds a bit of Democratic star power to the race. Though, the best quote surrounding the possible bid thus far comes from Tucker Martin, a spokesman for current Attorney General--and likely Republican nomination candidate--Robert F. McDonnell:

Terry McAuliffe doesn't know Norton from Norfolk. If he runs, remind me to send him a Virginia state map.

Democratic Consultant McAuliffe Weighs Run for Governor

This is Bad

2008-07-01T11:05:00.003-04:00

Disturbing news today on the local front:

"A 19-year-old man suspected of killing a Prince George's County police officer was strangled in the county jail two days after his arrest, the state medical examiner's office concluded yesterday.

Ronnie L. White, who was found unresponsive Sunday morning, died of asphyxiation, and two small bones in his neck were broken, according to preliminary autopsy findings. County officials said he was separated from other inmates; only seven guards and an undisclosed number of supervisors had access to the area where White was held."

I don't even know what to say about this situation beyond: this is only going to get worse before it gets any better.

Suspect in Md. Officer's Death Was Strangled

Dr. No

2008-06-25T20:18:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama: SPECTRE member, able to crush stone into powder. How can you stop that?!

Terrorist Fist Bumps for Everybody!

2008-06-25T20:08:00.001-04:00

Not you too Mac! Not you too!
New York Magazine

Not Alex

2008-06-25T11:18:00.001-04:00

John McCain, baby thief?

Terminator 3: The Rise of Clinton

2008-06-25T11:06:00.003-04:00

Bob Beckel, former manager of Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign (that worked out well eh?), argues that Hillary Clinton is the no-brainer choice for Obama's VP nod. People who don't support the idea are just straight up haters since Hillary's iron fist clench on success will assure victory. Best line:

"If you are elected Senator, so the charge goes, the Clintons will be constant problems for you. Hillary will promote her own agenda and Bill will wander the West Wing subverting your presidency. Absurd."

It's Not Even Close: Obama Should Pick Clinton for VP

Green up America

2008-06-25T10:58:00.002-04:00

Obama called McCain's proposed $300 million prize for a new electric car battery a "bounty" for some "rocket scientist to win." McCain's plan for greening up America: electric wizardry and drilling for more oil. MAVERICK!

Girl Talk pt. DUDE!

2008-06-19T18:21:00.003-04:00

Girl Talk (aka Greg Gillis) is back at it again. Filled with samples of questionable legality, this time the nicest rascal on the block is allowing you to name your price and save. Dope!
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals LP

Love is All - Busy Doing Nothing

2008-06-12T22:05:00.001-04:00

Best Show Ever.

Summer Treat

2008-06-09T16:38:00.003-04:00

This has to be the most exciting summer treat ever--which is saying a lot considering there's no booze in it (call the scientists!).

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Euro 2008 Update

2008-06-09T16:21:00.004-04:00

The Dutch boys in Orange are currently crushing Italy 3-0. With the best goals of the tourney thus far and 90 minutes of open attacking football the Dutch are looking like they've got something to prove this year. Why play D when your opponents can't score. Totally sick.

Beautiful Bits of Summer in DC

2008-06-08T12:18:00.003-04:00

1. Euro 2008 Finals

2. A free tasting of the last keg ever (in the world) of Hurlimann Samichlaus at Brasserie Beck

3. Summer patios . . . for every meal

4. 3 am loud, drunk, ex-military, tattoo artists with Prodigy haircuts on the Metro

5. On the Red Line:

Tourist girl, loudly: "Hey! Where's that tall pointy thing?!" (looks at metro map) "Oh, Smith Stadium!"
Friend: ".....Smithsonian."
(silence)
Tourist girl: "Does this thing go to New York City?"

Unrest - Make Out Club

2008-05-16T23:14:00.001-04:00

Unrest - Make Out Club

2008-05-16T23:11:00.001-04:00

Johnny's Mom

2008-05-12T12:58:00.002-04:00

This video literally made me speechless. So many questions:

What the hell is noon happy hour? 27 bottles of scotch? There's someone older than John McCain?! Is it really Skeletor's mom?

Byron Crawford blows it up

2008-04-06T00:34:00.002-04:00

And it’s not like he has to sweat losing the black community at this point. He’s got them (us?) in his back pocket on a level I wasn’t even aware was possible. Pimps don’t have this control over their whores. Never mind throwing his pastor under a bus; Barack Obama could shoot a black baby in its face on live TV, and black people would be like, “Well, maybe that’s what he needed to do to win the election. Let the nigga get in office first and see if he’s still shooting children.” That’s how ridiculous this shit has gotten.

Daaaaaaaammmmmn!

Smoking bans kill

2008-04-05T20:51:00.003-04:00

According to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, counties that have instituted bans on smoking indoors have experienced dramatic increases in the levels of drunk driving and drunk driving deaths. Apparently drunk smokers are hopping into their cars to drink in outdoor bars or to adjacent counties without smoking bans. The bottle opener/lighter combination that the dealer for my first car gave me must be catching on.

The researchers analysed data from 120 American counties, 20 of which had banned smoking. They found a smoking ban increased fatal alcohol-related car accidents by 13% in a typical county containing 680,000 people. This is the equivalent of 2.5 fatal accidents (equivalent to approximately six deaths). Furthermore, drunk-driving smokers have not changed their ways over time. In areas where the ban has been in place for longer than 18 months, the increased accident rate is 19%.

I'm curios as to what percentage of accidents are being caused by drunk drivers dropping their car cigarette lighters in their laps? But let's look on the bright side! Smokers are now doing more to improve the costs of healthcare for everyone else, by killing people off before they get sick.

Unlucky Strikes

OMG! Kids have money, love text messaging

2008-04-03T14:37:00.003-04:00

A spat of upcoming ad campaigns, including Degree deodorant for teen girl's "OMG! Moments," are going to feature text-messaging slang marketed at the youth of America. Since parents clearly don't understand what the hell their kids are talking about these days anyway (note the success of Juno: "They talk so funny!"), companies figure that they might as well go straight to the source and try to stay fresh and fly with the kids. Are kids still saying fresh and fly?

"We wanted to show the teens that we understand them and know how they communicate with their friends," says David Lang, president of WPP Group's MindShare Entertainment, which created the print, TV and online effort.

Marketers Try to Be 'Kewl' With Text-Message Lingo

Nerds (ruining the fun for everybody)

2008-04-02T20:22:00.004-04:00

Two brave citizens have mounted a legal campaign to prevent nerds and their particle physics toys from destroying the earth in a black hole fueled apocalypse. Global warming can hop on the back burner for this shit.

Walter L. Wagner and Luis Sancho contend that scientists at the European Center for Nuclear Research, or CERN, have played down the chances that the collider could produce, among other horrors, a tiny black hole, which, they say, could eat the Earth. Or it could spit out something called a “strangelet” that would convert our planet to a shrunken dense dead lump of something called “strange matter.”

Bummer.

Kids love internet, hate magazines

2008-04-02T19:08:00.005-04:00

Looks like the inevitable pool of young talent for the magazine industry is drying up as the young people these days flock to that new fangled internet. Is this really surprising? Why spend hours researching and interviewing for a piece that just gets axed or edited beyond all recognition when you could, ya know, just hunt for sexual innuendo headlines on the NYT and Google pictures of dinosaur bongs. It's a recession, there's nothing out there for ya anyway.

Mr. Talese had definite opinions on the subject. 'These people don’t leave their fucking laptops,' he said. 'It used to be, you would go outside. It’s leaving home, getting on a plane or a bus or a bicycle, and going somewhere. It doesn’t mean you have a fixed interview. It’s hanging around.'

The Decline and Fall of the Writer

The New York Post is the Best 'Newspaper' Ever

2007-12-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

Ike Turner obituary

Best Sentence of the Day

2007-12-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

"Maybe it is the lasting memory of the gay icon Elizabeth Taylor's scandalous affair with Richard Burton during his filming of “Night of the Iguana” in the early 60's, but Puerto Vallarta is becoming gayer by the year . . . " - New York Times, Top 53 Places to Go in 2008

WTF: Brian Wilson

2007-12-07T14:47:00.001-05:00

I knew Brian Wilson was batshit crazy, but this reaches a whole new level. This is some post-McCartney "Temporary Secretary" type shit right here.

Brian Wilson - "Smart Girls"

Big brains are awesome dude!

Middle-Aged White Ladies Love Obama

2007-12-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Latest Iowa campaign ad from democratic superstar Barack Obama. Hey look, those oldish white ladies are getting all teary eyed! Aw, that's adorable. What's a 55-year old housewife from Iowa to do when she has to chose between a female candidate and the will of Oprah? Oprah singlehandedly turns books in literary canon people! Vice presidential nod?

Obama's pumping the "not politics as usual message" like it's a pair of '91 Reeboks.

Dee Brown! Siiiiiick!

Come on Obama, don't you know that being the "change"candidate is the oldest trick in the American election books. I'm pretty sure George Washington ran on that platform in 1789 when he ran against the petticoats and wigs platform of King George.

American Apparel Loves Naked Chicks

2007-12-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

American Apparel has finally released an ad with a young naked girl in it. Now that their clothing line has come to its dialectical conclusion what's next for the company? I'm going with American Apparel birth control pills.

British People Love Drinking

2007-12-04T12:42:00.000-05:00

Apparently employees being hungover and skipping work during the holiday season will cost British firms £790m this year. The clear solution, move the office to the pub! Nothing cures a hangover like a double scotch. Cheers!

Writers Strike

2007-12-04T12:35:00.002-05:00

Does scripted reality television still get made when writers go on strike? If not, as opposed to showing repeats they should really just run with this idea of replacing characters with celebrity reenactors. Also, I hope James Franco keeps the wig.

Books go digital

2007-11-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

E-Ink is the wave of the future. I'm actually pretty psyched about this. Being able to carry a library on you with less weight than a single book. I can get down with that. Actually being able to read something in an electronic format without it being backlit. I can definitely get down with that. You should get on this shit and let me know how it works for ya so I can pick up version 2.0.

Oblique Strategies

2007-11-22T14:14:00.000-05:00

Maybe you should try faking it!

The International Tweexcore Underground

2007-09-16T20:23:00.001-04:00

?????

Pimp my credit

2007-08-16T02:52:00.001-04:00

Once again the world of advertising has left me speechless. Revise the history books. It's the Credit Pimp's America, we're just visiting.

Brussels

2007-08-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

I'm leaving on a 4 1/2 month trip to Brussels on Friday. What does the mean for the quantity and content of the postings? Anyways, you should keep reading Candyvan. Who knows! But if worse comes to worse I'll just post a bunch of pictures of the different outfits of the Manneken Pis.

More things from China that will kill us all

2007-08-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

Things from China that will kill us all is a topic that never gets old in my book. Here's a crash test video from the Chinese auto company Chery. Apparently, the company has a deal with Chrysler to important the vehicle shown in the video--A15 (Amulet)--to the American market. The test dummy had to be removed in pieces . . .

Why China won't destory our economy

2007-08-09T13:41:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of bickering going on back and forth lately regarding the prospect of China unleashing a "nuclear option" in response to American efforts to force China to revalue its currently undervalued currency. China's threat involves selling off its vast stock of American dollars ($900 billion about) on the foreign markets, causing a plunge in the value of dollar. Spooky eh? Fortunately this won't happen, at least not at anytime in the near future. Why won't this happen? Because guess which nation is the number one export market for Chinese goods? That's right, America. China's astounding growth rates are fueled by its exports. If China dumps it's US currency reserves, the Chinese yuan rises meaning, goodbye 30% yearly growth in export markets and goodbye 11% yearly GDP growth. While China's economy is currently booming, a decline in growth--such as the one that would occur by selling off all of those dollars--would bring it crashing down. Poverty is still widespread in China and infrastructure is nowhere near adequate levels. China cannot afford to destroy its growth rates since economic growth is basically the only thing holding the country together. In essence, while the American markets would certainly by hurt by China's "nuclear option," for the growing Chinese market it would be a disaster.

Daily Telegraph
CNN Money

4 out of 5 kids prefer it!

2007-08-08T13:39:00.000-04:00

The vast majority of children given a choice between two identical food items are more likely to say the one in a McDonald's wrapper tastes better.

This is why I'm going into advertising. It's like selling candy to babies . . . literally.

Yo I'm outta cash, let's stop by that church right quick

2007-08-08T13:36:00.000-04:00

"Is that an ATM in the church lobby? Credit and debit card swipe machines in churches may startle some of the pious, but such kiosks, already present in some houses of worship, might become even more commonplace now that a new IRS regulation is in effect." - Time

Midas Touch

2007-08-06T11:37:00.001-04:00

It's was a long weekend of moving that has led into a few days of calm before it's back to DC and then out of the country. Posting may be slow(er than usual) for the next week or two as I still have no idea what my living situation in Brussels will be. Anyways, here's a Skittles commercial!

Hypothetical questions are a bad idea

2007-08-03T10:50:00.000-04:00

A recent John Dickerson piece in Slate argues the merits of Barack Obama's willingness to answer hypothetical questions:

"Fortunately, one candidate is answering hypotheticals. For the last two weeks, the Democratic political conversation has been consumed with hypothetical questions. Last week, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton engaged in a multiday set-to over whether they would meet with nasty dictators. This week, Barack Obama doubled down on hypotheticals by raising his own hypothetical situation in his sweeping speech on foreign policy. If he found actionable intelligence about al-Qaida leaders hiding out in the mountains of Pakistan, he said he would send in troops whether the Pakistani government liked it or not. When asked the next day about using nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he said he never would use them."

Contrary to Dickerson, this guy is under the impression that answering hypotheticals is pointless at best and poor political strategy at worst. The entire notion of hypothetical questions is that they are based in speculation surrounding highly incomplete information. Providing absolute answers to hypothetical questions is inherently flawed as anyone could think of countless nuanced scenarios in which lines of absolutism are blurred. Answering these questions leave candidates tied to a position that can be assailed on all sides--I can't believe they would/wouldn't do that!--as the situations posed in the questions aren't real. And guess what? This is exactly what's happening to Obama.

Tidbits

2007-08-03T10:43:00.000-04:00

The Carlos Tevez legal debacle is finally over! Glory! Glory! Man. United!
YouTube's own wine guru
The soap commercials of Ingmar Bergman
Ikea the hostel?
Surprise! Next stop, Iraq!

Mob of 100 people randomly chasing strangers

2007-08-03T08:08:00.001-04:00

It's 8:00 am and for some reason I'm awake. This is the only reason I'm ok with that.

Sean Penn = Terrorist

2007-08-02T12:45:00.000-04:00

"CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his critical stance against the war in Iraq, saying the two chatted by phone and soon plan to meet in person. 'Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths,' Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech."

Sean Penn praised by Venezuela's Chavez.

9-year old signed to Manchester United

2007-08-02T12:38:00.001-04:00

A 9-year old British kid, living in Australia at the time, has been signed to Manchester United after his grandpa sent the club this footage showcasing his skill. Apparently around 40 kids a year are signed by the club, but this is the first to be signed based on the popularity of his YouTube video. Regardless, I wouldn't want to be the opposing coach in this kids league.

The youth of Russia

2007-08-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

Check out Edward Lucas', British journalist covering eastern Europe for the likes of the Economist, piece "Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp" in The Daily Mail. The title is scandalous and is only briefly connected to the piece as a whole. However, Lucas' reporting on Russia's pro-Putin youth movements equally as distressing. The more I follow the state of Russian society, the more I find myself wary of the so-called democratic transitions that have taken place since the fall of communism. Are we moving towards new cold war? Hard to say, but the future of cooperation between Russia and the West is looking less and less bright with each passing day.

Shark Week!

2007-07-31T12:56:00.001-04:00

If you didn't already know--shame on you--it's Shark Week! America's version of the Tour de France, except sharks don't need 'roids to win. Turn on the Discovery Channel now.

Iraq vs. The Killer Badgers

2007-07-31T12:23:00.001-04:00

What can be said about this one? Rumors persist in the Iraqi city of Basara that the British Army has introduced killer badgers into their environment in order to wreck havoc and destruction. And for the kicker, the Brits threw some poisonous snakes in the water supply and released rabies infected dogs. Even Iran is getting in on this action, claiming to have captured several squirrels equipped with foreign spy technology.

Obama's Achilles Heel

2007-07-31T12:12:00.000-04:00

In a piece on Slate posted yesterday, John Dickerson delves into the Achilles Heel of the Barack Obama campaign, inexperience. I for one am rather skeptical of Mr. Obama's attempts to overshadow his relative lack of both international and executive experience with his claims of bringing change to the White House. So far, he appears to be basing the brunt of his campaign against Hillary Clinton, focusing on her vote for authorization of the Iraq War in contrast to his continual opposition to the conflict. Yet the facts that he wasn't faced with a vote on war authorization and that in his time in the Senate he has been able to position himself as a leader against the war--or on any foreign policy issue for that matter--leaves something to be desired. As Dickerson's piece points out, recent history contains a series of presidents with little to no foreign policy experience: Bush, Clinton, and Kennedy specifically. However, as the piece also points out, foreign policy created sticky situations for those presidents. Many of which we continue to suffer the consequences of.

Nu-Gaze!

2007-07-30T14:40:00.000-04:00

Winner of the most best musical analysis of a revival movement thus far in 2007 goes to Jude Rogers "Diamond Gazers," piece about the new-wave of shoegaze--nu-gaze?!--bands!:

"At the start of summer 2007 a supple, shimmery thread started darning itself through a long line of euphoric-sounding albums. From Maps to Blonde Redhead, Mahogany to Deerhunter, Asobi Seksu to Ulrich Schnauss, you could hear the heady, woozy influence of a style of music that had been a byword for naffness and overindulgence for the past 15 years; a type of music that Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers had said he "hated more than Hitler". Names like nu-gaze, stargaze and shoetronica were used to describe it, names that couldn't quite hide the scene that dared not speak its name. For shoegazing was back - the sound of jangly indie fed through layers of distortion, overdrive and fuzz; of delicate souls turning themselves up to 11. In Summer 2007, bands, clubs, Mercury prize-nominated albums, films, and novels are all proud to claim it as an inspiration."

People still like shoegaze? People still hate shoegaze? People still don't know what shoegaze is? Amazing!

The Cameraman's Revenge

2007-07-27T09:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Nina brought to my attention the work of Ladislas Starevich a Polish, Russian, and French stop motion animator from the early 1900s. Starevich tended to use insects and animals as his protagonists and is credited with being the first filmmaker to make animated films with actual plots. The Cameraman's Revenge (1912) is a story of infidelity among insects and is a prime example of his bizarre and often darkly amusing work.

Wes Anderson strikes again

2007-07-26T14:51:00.000-04:00

Here's the trailer for the upcoming Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited. Anderson co-wrote the flic with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, and it stars a familiar cast of characters including Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Anjelica Housto. Also, Adrien Brody is coming along for the ride this time. The film also includes guest appearances by the familiar Billy Murry and Natalie Portman as well.

Thanks to Ace over at Oh Stewardess, I Speak Jive!

News: Straight to you dome pice

2007-07-25T13:55:00.000-04:00

All the groceries you want at the touch of your finger!
Organic foods are increasingly coming from China, and like exploding cellphones they're probably shady
The 12 kinds of ads
Law that imposes penalties on landlords of illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them stuck down

Fat in the USA

2007-07-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

Take an obesity tour of the USA with Sanjay Gupta's Great American Obesity map! It's kind of like a presidential election map, except ya know, with fatties.

Carlsberg and mentos

2007-07-25T13:39:00.001-04:00

A great Carlsberg spoof ad to start off your day. Yes, I know 1:30pm is the start of you day.

Road trip!

2007-07-25T13:38:00.000-04:00

Relief from high gas prices may be on the way as "experts" say the worst of the recent gas woes are over. Barring any hurricanes or explosions of course, the two Achilles' heels of American life:

"We still have a hairy five weeks to go where something could go wrong, but wholesale prices for unfinished gasoline in California have dropped 26 cents since July 10. Barring a hurricane in the Gulf [of Mexico], it looks like the worst is over, said Tom Kloza, chief analyst for the Oil Price Information Service in New Jersey."

Romney vs. The Ocean

2007-07-25T01:45:00.001-04:00

This has to be the worst campaign commercial of 2007 thus far. At least Gravel's were endearing.

In Libya you can buy your way out of prison!

2007-07-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

After 8 years in captivity, 4 of them on death row, 5 Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were released by the Libyan government. The 6 were accused of purposefully infecting over 400 children with HIV as part of a joint American and Israeli intelligence operation to destabilize the Libyan state. The most outrageous part of this story? The EU is paying over $400 million and numerous member states relieved Libyan debt in order to free these prisoners. In essence, Libya is being rewarded for hostage taking.

News: Straight to your dome piece

2007-07-24T12:51:00.000-04:00

The Tevez saga continues
Now it's $5.09 for a latte
Jesus dolls now available at Wal-Mart!
Obama has to step up his game--get black people to vote for him--if he wants a shot at the big time
Sorry Taiwan, only one China allowed
William Kristol fails to realize that success is actually the antonym of failure

Back in OH-HI-OH

2007-07-22T22:49:00.001-04:00

A long day of traveling. Back to life on Monday. Here's some White Town.

11 Shootings. 1 Night.

2007-07-20T12:29:00.000-04:00

Back in DC for a few. Looks like the people still love their guns.

Whatcha gonna do about it

2007-07-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a favorite of mine from The Small Faces:

Red Bull

2007-07-16T12:04:00.000-04:00

The latest issue of Wired goes inside a can of Red Bull to tell us what exactly is inside. In a complete shock to this guy, it turns out that Red Bull probably isn't going to kill anyone anytime soon. In fact, most of the ingredients listed have some sort of positive benefit to human health though probably not in the levels found in one can.
What's Inside: Red Bull

Don't worry. We got that shit

2007-07-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki responded to the latest White House report on progress in Iraq, stating: “We say with confidence that we are capable, God willing, of taking full responsibility for the security file if the international forces withdraw in any time they wish.” Based on the NYT reporting of the story, I'm not so sure:

Iraq Chief Says His Forces Are Able to Secure Country

What about a human limb?

2007-07-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Need a blender that that blend an IPhone? Blendtec has got you covered.

EUTube

2007-07-13T18:56:00.000-04:00

EUTube, the official YouTube space of the European Commission wants you to know that when your hanging at the beach and grandma calls you to tell you grandpa broke his hip your mobile roaming charges will be reasonable no matter what EU country you're in!

That and European people love doing it.

Beckham's glory years

2007-07-13T18:21:00.000-04:00

So Beckham is in LA. Savior of soccer in the USA? Doubt it. This guys just hoping for some hilarious trick plays.

Hugs not guns

2007-07-13T18:13:00.000-04:00

An attempted robbery of a family enjoying dinner at their Capitol Hill home the past week took an odd turn of events when as opposed to taking the money and running the would be robber took a brief wine tasting and round of group hugs.

Nerds are cool!

2007-07-10T17:07:00.000-04:00

The NYT reports that all the cool kids want to be librarians. Tattoos and the dewey decimal system, rad!

I hate pandas

2007-07-09T13:47:00.000-04:00

Over the past 13-weeks my home metro area DC has been waiting with baited breath to find out if it's female panda Mei Xiang is pregnant. Panda's apparently are notoriously difficult to accurately diagnose pregnancy in. As it turns, out it was all a false alarm, the 4th false alarm for Mei Xiang. As female pandas only ovulate once it year, we'll now be spared about 40-weeks until this nonsense comes up again. I say nonsense b/c pandas have to be one of the least impressive creatures on the face of the earth. With only 1,800 left on earth they're clearly too stupid to continue to live. This is probably due to the fact that 99% of their diet consists of bamboo, a food that they can barely digest and offers little energy or nutrition to them. Correspondingly, pandas are extremely lazy. For this, American zoos pay China--owner of every single panda in the world--$2 million a year as part of 10-year contracts to put the animals on display. As "living fossils" they've had a long run, it's time to let them out into the wild and let nature take its course.

Sorry for laughing

2007-07-09T13:40:00.000-04:00

Top Picks of the Weekend for Summer Heat Madness:
1. Live Free or Die Hard
2. Krzysztof Kiewlowski double feature of Camera Buff & A Short Film About Killing
3. Ridley Scott's Blade Runner
4. Jan Svankmajer's Alice

As you can tell, I spent a lot of time indoors this past weekend. Though this is likely a good thing as after the Die Hard experience I probably would've over exhausted myself crashing cars into helicopters.

Here's some Josef K:

WTF: Exploding cellphones

2007-07-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

The International Herald Tribune is reporting that we can now add cellphones to the list of scary ass things from China that will probably kill us all. In some Spy vs. Spy time nonsense a 22-year old man in western China was killed when his cellphone exploded in his shirt pocket. I was cool with bootleg DVDs, poison pet food, and lead paint tainted children's toys, these things happen, but when electronic objects that are made to be held up to your head start exploding I have to draw the line. I'm starting to suspect some sort of plot by the Chinese government to kill international competition through the use of exploding PDAs.

Gore gone wild

2007-07-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Former Vice President Al Gore's son, Al Gore III, was arrested in Southern California on early Thursday morning after being pulled over for pulling some 2 Fast 2 Furious type stunts on the San Diego Freeway in his Toyota Prius. Upon smelling marijuana the deputy that pulled Gore over searched the car and found a hodgepodge of unprescribed pills ranging from Vicodin to Adderall.

Now for the weird part of this story:
"More than 10 hours after his arrest on drug charges, the younger Gore remained in a Southern California jail because no one had showed up to post his $20,000 bail."

A spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department noted that it "seemed unusual" that the young Gore remained in jail. If anyone out there wants to help out Gore III, the NYT piece on the arrest points out that: "The sheriff’s department accepts personal checks and credit cards."

Poverty = terrorism?

2007-07-05T11:53:00.000-04:00

An upcoming book by Princeton economist Alan Krueger argues that perpetrators of terrorism are more likely to be upper class and well educated as poor and uneducated:

"Backgrounds of 148 Palestinian suicide bombers show they were less likely to come from families living in poverty and were more likely to have finished high school than the general population. Biographies of 129 Hezbollah shahids (martyrs) reveal they, too, are less likely to be from poor families than the Lebanese population from which they come."

Most studies regarding the links between poverty and terrorism are only in the initial stages. However, early indicators appear to show that conventional wisdom doesn't quite add up in this case.

Yet another reason why I hate DC

2007-07-02T19:16:00.000-04:00

Candyvan is calling you out Mayor Fenty for ordering your aides to return the iPhones they jumped the line to get on Friday at the downtown DC Apple Store. After awarding your staff the haterific award for the day, I now have to rescind that award. As my grandfather would say, "show a little leadership!" Fenty and stick to your guns. You don't get anywhere in the world by having aides ignore lines and flip people off only to turn tail and give back the goods when the heat is on. That's not haterism, that's flip-flopping.

Bong Hits 4 Jesus: The Game!

2007-07-02T18:45:00.000-04:00

Proving that learning can be fun, an online "game" from Students for Sensible Drug Policy to test how well you'd do as a high school principal in understanding constitutional law on student free speech when it comes to drug policy.

Sunday Ad Special Part II

2007-07-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

This latest campaign from the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority plays on a man's love of the ladies and love of speed, tugging at the heartstrings Australia.