She also quotes Oscar Wilde: “The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing.”Hire her, some progressive institution. She has chops.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Well Played, Ma'am
Grace under pressure.
Music Tuesday: Death Cab for Cutie, Cibo Matto and more
What’s happening on youtube.com/music? If you’re a fan of one of indie rock’s most influential bands, a lot. Check out our picks for what's happening in music this week.
Death Cab for Cutie curation
Death Cab for Cutie’s intelligent, heart-restrained-by-head songs have always vibrated with barely-contained desire. They’re also innovative video-makers -- earlier this year they released a pretty stunning one-take video for “You Are A Tourist.” They followed it up by asking Shepard Fairey to tag L.A. with the lyrics to “Home Is A Fire.” So we were pretty psyched when Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer agreed to sit down and choose some of their favorite videos for us on the eve of the release of their new album Codes and Keys. Like the band itself, their videos are diverse, thoughtful, surprising and sometimes cute: you’ll find indie rock videos, sure, but also French bulldogs, exploding volcanoes, and a starry sky. Prepare to swoon.
Cibo Matto reunites
Everybody’s favorite quirky Japanese alterna-pop duo, Cibo Matto grabbed a devoted following back in the ‘90s for their deceptively simple, sly and silly songs. They weren’t rockstars, but they were cool and goofy and hard to ignore. They recently announced they’re getting back together for a tour and a new album. Here’s why you care:
Lavalier "Santa Claus Ain't Comin'"
When even Nylon Magazine is trying to remind us that there’s music being made outside of Brooklyn, it feels a bit perverse to hype yet another Brooklyn band. But Lavalier -- a slightly psychedelic, slightly melancholic indie band -- have something else going for them: their new video from the art collective Everything Is Terrible. The collective scours junk sales and thrift stores for discarded VHS tapes and turns them into hilarious videos. They hit the jackpot with this one, sending up ‘80s culture by using detritus from the decade itself. This is cultural archeology at its best -- and the song’s not bad, either.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Go - Santogold & Karen O."
Death Cab for Cutie curation
Death Cab for Cutie’s intelligent, heart-restrained-by-head songs have always vibrated with barely-contained desire. They’re also innovative video-makers -- earlier this year they released a pretty stunning one-take video for “You Are A Tourist.” They followed it up by asking Shepard Fairey to tag L.A. with the lyrics to “Home Is A Fire.” So we were pretty psyched when Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer agreed to sit down and choose some of their favorite videos for us on the eve of the release of their new album Codes and Keys. Like the band itself, their videos are diverse, thoughtful, surprising and sometimes cute: you’ll find indie rock videos, sure, but also French bulldogs, exploding volcanoes, and a starry sky. Prepare to swoon.
Cibo Matto reunites
Everybody’s favorite quirky Japanese alterna-pop duo, Cibo Matto grabbed a devoted following back in the ‘90s for their deceptively simple, sly and silly songs. They weren’t rockstars, but they were cool and goofy and hard to ignore. They recently announced they’re getting back together for a tour and a new album. Here’s why you care:
Lavalier "Santa Claus Ain't Comin'"
When even Nylon Magazine is trying to remind us that there’s music being made outside of Brooklyn, it feels a bit perverse to hype yet another Brooklyn band. But Lavalier -- a slightly psychedelic, slightly melancholic indie band -- have something else going for them: their new video from the art collective Everything Is Terrible. The collective scours junk sales and thrift stores for discarded VHS tapes and turns them into hilarious videos. They hit the jackpot with this one, sending up ‘80s culture by using detritus from the decade itself. This is cultural archeology at its best -- and the song’s not bad, either.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Go - Santogold & Karen O."
We Should Respect You... Because?
Just what do you have to do before CNN stops treating you as a Very Serious Person?
If you're a conservative, anyway.
If you're a conservative, anyway.
John Legend takes your education questions in next World View interview
In the past five months, YouTube World View has challenged leaders to talk about some of the most pressing issues facing the world today. Until today, these leaders have resided squarely in the government space, however, our next World View subject has a slightly different background.
Starting today, you can ask questions of philanthropist and soulful crooner John Legend. In addition to being a nine-time Grammy Award winner (!) and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, John is the founder of the Show Me Campaign, an effort to use education to break the cycle of poverty.
John wants to hear your questions about education, whether they’re about raising the standard of education around the world, improving the quality of teachers, or the work he is doing with the Show Me Campaign. You can head over to www.youtube.com/worldview to submit your questions now. He’ll answer the top-voted questions in a special interview that will be released on June 8.
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “John Legend in Ghana”
Starting today, you can ask questions of philanthropist and soulful crooner John Legend. In addition to being a nine-time Grammy Award winner (!) and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, John is the founder of the Show Me Campaign, an effort to use education to break the cycle of poverty.
John wants to hear your questions about education, whether they’re about raising the standard of education around the world, improving the quality of teachers, or the work he is doing with the Show Me Campaign. You can head over to www.youtube.com/worldview to submit your questions now. He’ll answer the top-voted questions in a special interview that will be released on June 8.
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “John Legend in Ghana”
Autocar Skeptic
I'm generally a technology skeptics, not in the "get off my lawn" sense as I'm happy to be wrong, but in the "not sure this is really going to work" sense. Happy for us to all download ourselves into our robot bodies in the future, just don't think it's very likely.
And I'm really not too positive about the potential for self-driving cars. I'm sure building a system from the ground up (infrastructure, vehicles) would be basically doable right now, but the real promise is that it can be grafted onto our existing road infrastructure and operate with the current fleet of mostly not self-driving cars.
And I'm really not too positive about the potential for self-driving cars. I'm sure building a system from the ground up (infrastructure, vehicles) would be basically doable right now, but the real promise is that it can be grafted onto our existing road infrastructure and operate with the current fleet of mostly not self-driving cars.
The Worst People In The World
Once the wingnut harassment machines cranks up, you realize they have no boundaries.
I forget the precise details lost as they are in the mists of blog time, but there was one time years ago when the screeching wingnuts behaved like assholes, digging up and publicizing personal information. Then they decided we should all agree that such behavior was bad, and we should all sign up for some online Dignitude/Civilitude pact which was something along the lines of "you shouldn't mess with people like that unless wingnuts think they really deserve it."
I forget the precise details lost as they are in the mists of blog time, but there was one time years ago when the screeching wingnuts behaved like assholes, digging up and publicizing personal information. Then they decided we should all agree that such behavior was bad, and we should all sign up for some online Dignitude/Civilitude pact which was something along the lines of "you shouldn't mess with people like that unless wingnuts think they really deserve it."
Walking (?????????)
Sarah Goodyear has more on the topic of the post below.
There is no shortage of big houses with big yards near highway interchanges in this country. There is a shortage of affordable housing in walkable neighborhoods with good access to transit.
There is no shortage of big houses with big yards near highway interchanges in this country. There is a shortage of affordable housing in walkable neighborhoods with good access to transit.
They've Figured Out The Cunning Plan
What continues to amaze me is (assuming they're being honest) people a) fail to realize that government already plays a massive role in telling people what they can and cannot build on private property and b) really seem to believe that very small changes to existing policies which will likely have precisely zero impact on their current house/neighborhood are, in fact, part of a cunning plan by people like me to force them to live in Manhattan.
Watch My Morning Jacket’s perform live tonight
Tonight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, indie rock darlings My Morning Jacket will debut their new album Circuital in style: with a performance in Louisville, Kentucky’s historic Palace Theatre. No ticket? No problem. Watch the performance live on youtube.com/mymorningjacketvevo.
The show marks the next installment of the original music series UNSTAGED, in partnership with American Express and VEVO. UNSTAGED pairs bands with iconic film directors to create one-of-a-kind live performances.
Director Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There) will conduct the show. Haynes has been engaged with pop music throughout his career, crafting films that have frequently looked at music icons through an unusual lens: in Velvet Goldmine, he approached glam rock through the guise of a fictional, Bowie-like rock star named Brian Slade. In I’m Not There, six different actors inhabit or embody Bob Dylan’s many-faceted career. A subtle provocateur, Haynes has always looked to transgress social norms in his work.
As an indie band that often flirts with experimental elements, My Morning Jacket are a natural match for Haynes. The group burst onto the scene in 2001 with the release of their sophomore album At Dawn. Alt country had become the fashion among many northern rock bands, but as native southerners, these Kentucky boys came by their twang honestly. When they drenched it in oceans of reverb, what could have been relatively straightforward country rock verged on otherworldly.
Over the years, the band has evolved, experimenting with neo-psychedelia, reggae and progressive rock and even emulating Prince. Circuital sees the band returning to its early influences -- and returning home to Louisville to perform in the Palace Theatre, an ornate Spanish Baroque-style theater built in 1924. The theater oozes with atmosphere: the trompe l’oeil ceiling looks like an open sky, and a “hall of faces” features over a hundred sculptures of Socrates, Beethoven, Dante and more. The venue also has amazing acoustics -- and, according to some reports, a ghost.
Anything could happen tonight! Tune in early for an exclusive Q&A before the show, and keep an eye out for interesting components of the webcast: vote for their encore song, choose your camera angle, watch for user-submitted eyeball photos (yes, eyeballs) on stage, and potentially unlock some exclusive photo content during the performance!
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “LOUDER|DUBSTEP.”
The show marks the next installment of the original music series UNSTAGED, in partnership with American Express and VEVO. UNSTAGED pairs bands with iconic film directors to create one-of-a-kind live performances.
Director Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There) will conduct the show. Haynes has been engaged with pop music throughout his career, crafting films that have frequently looked at music icons through an unusual lens: in Velvet Goldmine, he approached glam rock through the guise of a fictional, Bowie-like rock star named Brian Slade. In I’m Not There, six different actors inhabit or embody Bob Dylan’s many-faceted career. A subtle provocateur, Haynes has always looked to transgress social norms in his work.
As an indie band that often flirts with experimental elements, My Morning Jacket are a natural match for Haynes. The group burst onto the scene in 2001 with the release of their sophomore album At Dawn. Alt country had become the fashion among many northern rock bands, but as native southerners, these Kentucky boys came by their twang honestly. When they drenched it in oceans of reverb, what could have been relatively straightforward country rock verged on otherworldly.
Over the years, the band has evolved, experimenting with neo-psychedelia, reggae and progressive rock and even emulating Prince. Circuital sees the band returning to its early influences -- and returning home to Louisville to perform in the Palace Theatre, an ornate Spanish Baroque-style theater built in 1924. The theater oozes with atmosphere: the trompe l’oeil ceiling looks like an open sky, and a “hall of faces” features over a hundred sculptures of Socrates, Beethoven, Dante and more. The venue also has amazing acoustics -- and, according to some reports, a ghost.
Anything could happen tonight! Tune in early for an exclusive Q&A before the show, and keep an eye out for interesting components of the webcast: vote for their encore song, choose your camera angle, watch for user-submitted eyeball photos (yes, eyeballs) on stage, and potentially unlock some exclusive photo content during the performance!
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “LOUDER|DUBSTEP.”
Or Maybe They Don't Have Any Money
I'm not against the idea that the last few years have caused a wee shift in peoples' preferences for owning housing, but there are also simpler explanations.
I'm sure people have, quite sensibly, reevaluated homeownership due to the Kafkaesque nightmare it's become for millions of people. I'm also sure that unemployment is at 9%.
Though there had been hopes in the industry that prices were troughing and ready to turn higher, the latest trends show little hope in sight until later this year or early in 2012, he added.
"Everybody's now keeping their fingers crossed for 2012 and wondering wheter people just don't want to own homes anymore," he said.
I'm sure people have, quite sensibly, reevaluated homeownership due to the Kafkaesque nightmare it's become for millions of people. I'm also sure that unemployment is at 9%.
Lighting in Layers Update: Wider Availability, Download Version and a Trailer
First, thanks for the kind words from many of you who already have purchased Lighting in Layers. We worked very hard on the project; the notes, comments and reviews are much appreciated. A trailer has now been posted to give people a better idea of what LiL is about.
The hard copy DVDs are now available at Midwest Photo, Adorama, Amazon, Gulf Photo Plus and Souq.com.
And … the downloadable ($99.95 USD) version is live, here. I know many non-US readers were waiting on this. It is the same drag-and-drop (iPhone/iPad/iPod, laptop, Android, etc.) file set that is included along with the $159.95 hard copy version. They are 640x480 .mp4 files, encoded via h.264 for maximum compatibility file size economy (2.9Gb total) for portable media players.
PLEASE NOTE: If you want to test the CODEC on your machine first, you can download a short vignette in the exact same format via Mediafire, for free.
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Alas, the subtitled version is taking far longer (grrr…) than expected. I very much hoped to have it ready by now but the video producer is still working on it. Apologies, and I will post as soon as it is up.
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Full information on Lighting in Layers is here; after-the-fact Flickr discussion thread for viewers, here.
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Announcing: BC3:2L
It's been a while since our last lighting Boot Camp, so what the hell. Let's dust off the speedlights and give them a little workout.
As with previous bootcamps, there will be assignments, reviews, people complaining that they can't figure out how to post photos to Flickr -- and, of course, prizes. And given the experience range of readership on the site, we're gonna do something just a little different this time, too. Each assignment will be limited to using a maximum of two speedlights, so a certain someone won't have an undue advantage.
Thus, Boot Camp III: Two Lights, or, BC3:2L.
Speaking of Flickr, if you want to publicly post to the BC3:2L results page, you will need to join Flickr. It is free. Go head and do it now, to give your account long enough to get past any waiting period so you can post to groups, etc.
If your country blocks Flickr, either use Firefox and find an appropriate "unblocker" plug-in, or grab some pine. (That's baseball speak for "sit this one out.")
The first BC3:2L assignment drops later next month.
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As with previous bootcamps, there will be assignments, reviews, people complaining that they can't figure out how to post photos to Flickr -- and, of course, prizes. And given the experience range of readership on the site, we're gonna do something just a little different this time, too. Each assignment will be limited to using a maximum of two speedlights, so a certain someone won't have an undue advantage.
Thus, Boot Camp III: Two Lights, or, BC3:2L.
Speaking of Flickr, if you want to publicly post to the BC3:2L results page, you will need to join Flickr. It is free. Go head and do it now, to give your account long enough to get past any waiting period so you can post to groups, etc.
If your country blocks Flickr, either use Firefox and find an appropriate "unblocker" plug-in, or grab some pine. (That's baseball speak for "sit this one out.")
The first BC3:2L assignment drops later next month.
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Default
If the big European powers want to bail out their banks, they're free to do so. They lent money voluntarily to Greece, or acquired their bonds, because they thought it was a good deal. Turns out they were wrong, and Greece can't afford to pay them back without causing mass suffering in their country. Oops, guess the banksters screwed up again. Of course, for some reason, they never pay for their stupid decisions.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday Night
Apparently Palin went to Gettysburg. Whose side is she on?
I have no idea where the Republican freak show is heading.
I have no idea where the Republican freak show is heading.
Calculations
One can't read minds and distinguish between pure political calculations and ideology, though I tend to think they overlap frequently, but apparently the political risk of "the wrong people (aside from rich assholes) getting help and a ballooning federal payroll" was seen as a bigger deal than the political risk of "massive long term unemployment." I'm sure it's in part because they downplayed the risk of the latter, but...it's, uh, May 2011? The January '09 projection argued that if the stimulus passed, then unemployment would be about 6.8% now. Without it, about 8%. It's 9% now.
And There Was Much Rejoicing Throughout The Land
Finally my local transit authority will offer real time bus location information.
There Could Be Jobs
Krgthulu:
As I see it, policy makers are sinking into a condition of learned helplessness on the jobs issue: the more they fail to do anything about the problem, the more they convince themselves that there’s nothing they could do. And those of us who know better should be doing all we can to break that vicious circle.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
How About The Keys To The Acropolis
Give us everything that isn't nailed down, much of what is, completely destroy your economy, and maybe, just maybe, we'll do you the favor of bailing out our banksters.
European leaders are negotiating a deal that would lead to unprecedented outside intervention in the Greek economy, including international involvement in tax collection and privatisation of state assets, in exchange for new bail-out loans for Athens.
People involved in the talks said the package would also include incentives for private holders of Greek debt voluntarily to extend Athens’ repayment schedule, as well as another round of austerity measures.
Lots Of Innocent People Inevitably Die In War
I know that sounds like an obvious point, but apparently it isn't.
Freak Show
Yes I do my best to ignore she who will never run for nor win the nomination nor become president, but her latest is weird even by her usual standards.
Pure Genius
Or, you know, not.
The musicians will branch out into light classics and film scores, exchange white tie and tails for something less "stuffy," and perform in an environment that is more theatrical and accompanied by extras such as digital program notes and after-concert events.
Sunday Bobbleheads
This Week has Mitch Daniels and Tim Pawlenty.
Meet the Press has Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.
Face the Nation has Cantor, Wasserman Schultz, and Governor Jay Nixon.
Document the atrocities!
Meet the Press has Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.
Face the Nation has Cantor, Wasserman Schultz, and Governor Jay Nixon.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Trike Force: Assemble!
I loved this:
(Which is apparently still abandoned since the last Eschalanche...)
A series of messages forwarded to The Daily Caller show a top aide to former Alaska Gov. and possible presidential candidate Sarah Palin mocking top political figures and even her boss’s own daughter, Bristol Palin.Somebody's about to feel the wrath of Operation Leper!
Red State Editor-in-Chief and CNN contributor Erick Erickson is “a total douchebag,” wrote Palin speechwriter and domestic policy adviser Rebecca Mansour in a May 22, 2010, message. “Greasy dumb ass with a talent for self-promotion.
(Which is apparently still abandoned since the last Eschalanche...)
This week's Trends: trailer proposals, commencement time-lapses, and pets
Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week:
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Cee Lo Green - I Want You (Hold On To Love)."
- We tracked the trend of creative movie trailer proposals.
- We enjoyed a Canuck's parody/anthem that was very popular in Canada.
- We followed some of the coolest and most popular commencement and graduation trends.
- We saw a collection of first-person disaster videos as well as footage of the volcano in Iceland.
- We listed Keenan Cahill's most popular collaborations.
- And, in what was a big week for pet videos, we helped this now world famous cat from Japan celebrate his third birthday:
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Cee Lo Green - I Want You (Hold On To Love)."
16 Months Since The Pivot
It's been about 16 months since the White House geniuses started talking about deficits instead of stimulus or jobs, leading us into the insane conversation we're having now.
Next job report comes out one week from today. Last one had unemployment at 9.0%.
Next job report comes out one week from today. Last one had unemployment at 9.0%.
Are They Learning?
If Dems cut Medicare at all they will have destroyed their entire 2012 campaign narrative.
Maybe The Inside Game Isn't The Best Way To Do This
Maybe some powerful people should get on the teevee and explain to everyone just how important gutting Medicare is to Republicans.
Nice Deal
I imagine that even I could make a few bucks in the Great Casino if the Fed was handing me giant sacks of cash at basically zero interest.
But the Fed isn't doing that for you or me.
But the Fed isn't doing that for you or me.
Black Men Have All The Advantages
Is it possible that there was a moment or two in Barack Obama's political career that being black was advantageous? Sure. But you have to weight that against the other 10 trillion moments in his life/career when it, you know, wasn't.
Sell Them
I think the existence of parking in all of its forms is an under appreciated problem in urban areas (I'm not saying there should be no parking, just that its presence is also a problem to think about), but I'm much more on board with developers who sell their parking spots to tenants rather than city councils that simply mandate parking.
"Oases Of Technocratic Sanity"
If only the wogs would let the Very Serious People in well-tailored suits run things...
Morning
So it seems the Republicans have released an exciting new plan to cut taxes on rich people.
This is a very shocking development.
This is a very shocking development.
Safe?
UPDATE: I got the explanation utterly wrong. Thanks to Marcy for emailing me a correction.
To judge by the hysterical statements issuing from elected officials—not to mention the breathless press coverage—you’d think the three little-used Patriot Act provisions set to expire unless reauthorized today are like the doomsday timer from the TV show Lost: Fail just once to keep pushing the reset button and some unspecified catastrophe is sure to result! Under the headline “Patriot Act Battle Could Hinder Investigators,” the New York Times quotes an alarmed anonymous official calling it “unprecedented” and warning that “no one could predict what the consequences of a temporary lapse might be.” The Washington Post agrees with the need for reform, but editorializes that “[at] this late hour, it is most important to ensure that the provisions do not lapse.” The Hill uncritically quotes Senate leaders’ assertion that any lapse “would cause a major disruption to the ability of law enforcement officials to fight terrorism.”
This is not just wrong, it is rolling-on-the-floor-laughing ridiculous. A lapse of these provisions for a few days—or a few weeks—would have no significant effect. First, they’re all covered by a grandfather clause. And contrary to what the New York Times implies, that doesn’t just mean that orders or warrants already issued under these authorities remain in effect.
There was some speculation in the twitter, Marcy Wheeler, among the speculators, that one reason people got worked up about Rand Paul leaving us without the Patriot Act for seven hours or so
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Serials
Obviously I'm just a stupid blogger and people in Hollywood really understand the money, but I've been puzzled for awhile why no one has bothered to try to introduce a modern serial concept in theaters. On the teevee they manage (for some shows) to produce 13-20 50 minute episodes with reasonably high production values on teevee budgets. You'd think they could manage 2 1:45 minute movies, released every six months or so, on a bigger but non-blockbuster movie budget. I guess my question is why produce one blockbuster giant budget Batman movie every 4 years when you could release 2 per year. These would be smaller movies in terms of action and special effects, but given the ability to save costs in other ways (reusing sets, marketing, etc) they wouldn't have to be that much smaller.
Probably all a dumb idea, just curious why it hasn't been tried.
Probably all a dumb idea, just curious why it hasn't been tried.
Playing for Keeps
One sadly obvious thing is that whatever happens with the DSK trial, the alleged victim is not going to have a good life going forward.
Needy Boys Who Have Family Issues
Heckuva job.
Italian media says he's HIV positive.
(GENOA) — The latest sex-abuse case to rock the Catholic Church is unfolding in the archdiocese of an influential Italian Cardinal who has been working with Pope Benedict XVI on reforms to respond to prior scandals of pedophile priests.
Father Riccardo Seppia, a 51-year-old parish priest in the village of Sastri Ponente, near Genoa, was arrested last Friday, May 13, on pedophilia and drug charges. Investigators say that in tapped mobile-phone conversations, Seppia asked a Moroccan drug dealer to arrange sexual encounters with young and vulnerable boys. "I do not want 16-year-old boys but younger. Fourteen-year-olds are O.K. Look for needy boys who have family issues," he allegedly said. Genoa Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, who is the head of the Italian Bishops Conference, had been working with Benedict to establish a tough new worldwide policy, released this week, on how bishops should handle accusations of priestly sex abuse.
Italian media says he's HIV positive.
If They Had Any Clue
I honestly am starting to realize that our Galtian Overlords don't understand that the vast majority of senior citizens depend on Social Security to maintain anything resembling their pre-retirement life. And this is the generation in which some of them actually have decent defined benefit pensions. Also, too, Medicare to fucking stay alive.
Everyone Agrees Deficits Are Bad
Not really, of course. Actual smart people know we should be running massively higher deficits than we are at the moment. But, in Washington, we all agree that 'too big' deficits are bad things. I think this is part of the explanation for why political journalists obsess about the subject. Since everyone agrees, it becomes uncontroversial subject, and so political journalists can, in a sense, take a side on the subject. Because it isn't actually taking a side, to them anyway. So you can go on NPR, or whatever, and say "deficits are a big problem" without any distancing or one the one handing.
Panchito
I really try to leave the horrors of campaign 2000 behind, but they keep sucking me back in.
Delusions
I get that some democrats are just bad people and want to slash Social Security and Medicare, but I also think some are genuinely deluded and think that if they can only come to some "deal" they can put the issue behind us forevermore. It's like the Lord Saletans of the world who thought that if only abortion rights supporters would agree that abortion was "icky" and make it that much harder for poor women to get abortions, then anti-choice people would agree that contraception was okay and then we'd all get along. They'll never stop trying to go after the giant pot of money that is Social Security. They'll never stop trying to funnel more of your end-of-life money to big corporations.
Our Bastards
You know we've broken up with our former BFFs when the press starts to refer to their governments as "regimes." But, yes, we (US and UK) made nice with Libya a few years back. Suddenly they were our buddies again.
Lots of bastards are our buddies. When suddenly for whatever reason these bastards are declared the latest Hitler of the week, the right response isn't to suddenly be shocked that we were canoodling with our BFFs, the right response is to ask why the hell were we buddies in the first place. It wasn't a secret. And an even better response, going forward, is to seriously question why we're buddies with so many bastards.
Lots of bastards are our buddies. When suddenly for whatever reason these bastards are declared the latest Hitler of the week, the right response isn't to suddenly be shocked that we were canoodling with our BFFs, the right response is to ask why the hell were we buddies in the first place. It wasn't a secret. And an even better response, going forward, is to seriously question why we're buddies with so many bastards.
Jews Are Bad People Who Don't Do What I Think They Should Do
Dwayne Hoover's robot Jews aren't behaving as God told him they are supposed to behave.
They're All Dwayne Hoover
Everyone else is just a robot, a prop in their lives. And if millions need to die so that the drama can come to the satisfactory conclusion, so that the main (and only real) character can have his teachable moment, so be it.
The Worst People In The World
I still get annoyed with liberal types who seem to live for those days when people like Joe Scarborough say something semi-reasonable. He's your basic conservative Republican, one who isn't happy unless old people and poor people are suffering. This is the greatest country in the world, but we're too poor to provide health care for seniors apparently.
Sidewalk Art
Food for thought: Next time you clamp up a few speedlights on a public street, it could lead you all the way to the state Supreme Court.
Got your attention? Keep reading...
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Earlier this week, my friend JoeyL tweeted about NYC photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and it really got me thinking.
A few years ago DiCorcia clamped strobes up under a scaffolding on a New York City sidewalk, thus turning the space into his ownprivate public studio. He then photographed people as they passed through, making a series of beautiful portraits that were at once banal and thought-provoking.
And that's where the interesting starts… Read more »
Got your attention? Keep reading...
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Earlier this week, my friend JoeyL tweeted about NYC photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and it really got me thinking.
A few years ago DiCorcia clamped strobes up under a scaffolding on a New York City sidewalk, thus turning the space into his own
And that's where the interesting starts… Read more »
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Holy Hate Women, Batman
Scarlett Johnannson makes a Planned Parenthood PSA...
And this is the response -- no shit:
Least convincing disclaimer ever, BTW.
Via.
And this is the response -- no shit:
Least convincing disclaimer ever, BTW.
Via.
The Dead Already Pay For Medicaid
Merits of Kevin's proposal aside, it's important to note that states already come after your estate if Medcaid pays for your nursing home. I'm not fully aware of how the details vary from state to state, but...
Nothing Changes
Republicans aren't exactly all that secretive about their grand plans for our glorious nation. Sure they usually speak in code a bit so not all voters will get it, but the point of having smart political journalists is that those journalists should be smart enough to understand what they're really saying. So, yes, if given their way Republicans would destroy Medicare. They would hand your social security money over to the banksters.
But for years our smart political journalists have covered for them.
But for years our smart political journalists have covered for them.
CuteGirlsHairstyles wins May’s “On The Rise”
Congratulations to Mindy of CuteGirlsHairstyles, the YouTube Partner that won May’s edition of On The Rise with a record number of votes on the YouTube blog. On The Rise is your chance to decide which growing partner will get a day in the spotlight on the YouTube homepage, and based on your votes, CuteGirlsHairstyles is featured on our homepage today.
CuteGirlsHairstyles began years ago when Mindy’s eldest daughters were 18 months old. She started experimenting with new hairstyles to avoid standard pigtails, keeping a photo collection to keep track of the styles. She then created a blog to share the techniques and expanded her network to YouTube, where her video hairstyle tutorials like “Waterfall French Braid,” “Twists into Side Flip,” and “Side Ponytail Combo” quickly caught on.
Here’s a word from Mindy:
If you’re enjoying our monthly blog series and want to see more rising YouTube stars, head over to our “On The Rise” channel and check out our playlists on the browse page. Check back next month, as your channel may be the next one featured!
Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “Beachy Combo | Beautiful Hairstyles.”
CuteGirlsHairstyles began years ago when Mindy’s eldest daughters were 18 months old. She started experimenting with new hairstyles to avoid standard pigtails, keeping a photo collection to keep track of the styles. She then created a blog to share the techniques and expanded her network to YouTube, where her video hairstyle tutorials like “Waterfall French Braid,” “Twists into Side Flip,” and “Side Ponytail Combo” quickly caught on.
Here’s a word from Mindy:
“I am a wife, a mom to six children (five of them girls), a hairblogger, a school board member, passionate about adoption, and full-time CEO and Logistics Director of our "organized chaos!” YouTube has become a major driver for our hairstyles, with thousands of subscribers coming from all over the world. For me, providing these tutorials brings satisfaction in knowing that girls worldwide are receiving a boost to their self esteems from all the daily compliments. It is also nice knowing that my daughters and I are helping moms and daughters find bonding time together each day. We sincerely want to thank our YouTube subscribers and fans for voting CuteGirlsHairstyles as May 2011's YouTube 'On The Rise' winner!"
If you’re enjoying our monthly blog series and want to see more rising YouTube stars, head over to our “On The Rise” channel and check out our playlists on the browse page. Check back next month, as your channel may be the next one featured!
Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “Beachy Combo | Beautiful Hairstyles.”
So You Want To Be A Hero
This clip reminds me of something which 9/11 brought out in all the keyboard kommandos. They wanted to be the guy who said "Let's Roll!" They wanted to be the firefighter running into the World Trade Center. They wanted to be the guy who ran down and enlisted except...uh, well, ur, not sure why, but...look over there!
But every day provides opportunities for small acts of heroism. Just go help someone who needs it.
Cutting Medicaid
In case the next round in the grand bargain follies settles on drastic Medicaid cuts, well here's what we're cutting.
Keep in mind that Medicaid pays for 40 percent of all births and that children comprise half its beneficiaries. But the real cost drivers are older Americans. Medicaid provides financing for 60 percent of nursing-home residents and pays 43 percent of America’s long-term care bill.
How About You Start
It's always great when Great White Father Tom Friedman tells others what the best way to try to enact change is. But, hey, ok, I'll bite. Why doesn't millionaire pundit Tom Friedman start? Why doesn't he print up a sign, grab an olive branch, and start marching, every Friday, from the West Bank into Jerusalem. Maybe some people will join him. Certainly Charlie Rose will do a feature on it, drawing some international attention. Maybe a movement will be born! Do it Tom!
What Did You Expect When You Elected A Supervillain
I normally resist the temptation to blame "stupid voters" for their leaders, but man, Floridians, what were you thinking...
Anyone Have A Plan B?
Failure to turn the economy around is a profound moral failure by our elites. They know how to fix things. They have chosen not to.
Papa Johns Is The Best Crappy Pizza
I agree about that.
But putting on my economist hat for a second, the question of whether decreasing costs of/improvements in electronic communication reduce the economic forces which bring us together comes down to whether electronic communications are substitutes for or complements to face-to-face interactions. My sense is they are to a great degree complements.
But putting on my economist hat for a second, the question of whether decreasing costs of/improvements in electronic communication reduce the economic forces which bring us together comes down to whether electronic communications are substitutes for or complements to face-to-face interactions. My sense is they are to a great degree complements.
Also, Too, People Should Stop Talking
I'll always remember a conference I went to in the earlier days of the internet when someone not very tuned in got up, quite disturbed, and asked the question, "You mean people can say anything they want on there?"
Yes, yes they can.
Yes, yes they can.
Default
Refreshing to see some a bit of truth in the financial press. The Greek bailout was never a bailout of Greece, but a bailout of banks, and Greece should wise up and default.
Thanks, YouTube community, for two BIG gifts on our sixth birthday!
In May 2005, the YouTube founders launched YouTube.com, providing people with a platform to broadcast themselves to the world. Six years on, the world is watching and we wanted to say thank you to the YouTube community for a couple of amazing birthday presents.
First, your video. Back in November we challenged you to up the volume of videos you uploaded to the site. And boy, did you take the bait. Today, more than 48 hours (two days worth) of video are uploaded to the site every minute, a 37% increase over the last six months and 100% over last year. From videos documenting a baby’s first steps in San Francisco, Calif., to a protest in Syria, to a commencement speech at Yale University, we’re continually impressed and inspired by the quality and breadth (in addition to quantity) of videos that you upload to the site every day. On our end, we're constantly evolving to provide the best video sharing and viewing experience for you from faster processing of uploads to longer video lengths to the launch of self-service live stream capabilities to partners.
What can happen in two days, you ask?
- You could drive non-stop across the country from our office in San Bruno, Calif. to New York City
- You could undertake a massive movie marathon by watching the entire Back to the Future trilogy eight and a half times (we’d recommend you do that at YouTube Movies)
- An ambitious cheetah (the fastest land animal at an average running speed of 75 mph) starting in South Africa could traverse 3600 miles of the African continent and reach Egypt
The first six years of a person’s life are incredibly important for development. The same could be said for a company. For the last six years we’ve grown and evolved in our quest to push video forward and deliver the best possible experience to you. So when will we reach 72 hours a minute, or 4 billion views a day? That’s up to you. For our part, we'll continue to work at delivering the diversity and quality of content you're asking for, from live streams of music festivals to campaigns around social inspiration and change, rockstars in education to citizen-journalist coverage of global events and YOU showcasing your own talent. You’ve made YouTube successful because it’s a reflection of you and your world. If this is what we’ve accomplished together in six years, we can only imagine where you’ll take us in the next six!
The YouTube Team recently watched “An Adorable 6-Year-Old Dancer”.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
YouTube Creator Institute is in session — with live streamed guest professors
Three months ago, we launched the YouTube Creator Institute with two institutions to provide aspiring content creators the fundamental skills to be successful on YouTube. The classes for the programs at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Columbia College Chicago begin this month, and include guest lectures from acclaimed directors, producers, comedians, musicians and industry leaders.
We’d like to share the Creator Institute experience, so we invite you to ask questions for live streamed classes with some of these special guests throughout the summer. Here’s a rundown:
May 25: Jon Landau, Academy Award-winning Producer of Avatar and Titanic
Submit a question | Watch Live May 25 @ 7pm PT
May 31: Melissa Rosenberg, Acclaimed Writer and Producer of the Twilight Saga, Dexter and many others
Submit a question | Watch Live May 31 @ 7pm PT
June 1: SuzAnn Brantner, Head of Alternative Distribution and Marketing for Music, Film and Books at William Morris Endeavor
Submit a question | Watch Recorded Lecture from June 1
June 2: MysteryGuitarMan and FreddieW, YouTube Partners with millions of subscribers and views
Submit a question | Watch Live June 2 @ 7pm PT
June 14: McG, Director of Terminator Salvation and Charlie’s Angels, and Executive Producer of Supernatural, The OC and many others
Submit a question | Watch Live June 14 @ 7pm PT
July 7: Barely Political, one of YouTube’s most subscribed channels and creators of Obama Girl, Key of Awesome and Autotune the News
Submit a question | Watch Live July 7 @ 4pm PT
This program, in addition to YouTube NextUp, are part of the YouTube Next mission to supercharge creator development and accelerate Partner growth and success. Each program has a uniquely-created curriculum, featuring the skills of each university to provide YouTubers with storytelling and production techniques, as well as new media skills to be successful in today’s media.
You can visit youtube.com/creatorinstitute for more info around notices and links to guest lectures. Stay tuned for more surprises and more ways to get involved in YouTube creator programs this summer.
Bing Chen, YouTube Creator Institute Lead, recently watched “Never Enough - D-Pryde (Produced By: Scena) (Original).”
We’d like to share the Creator Institute experience, so we invite you to ask questions for live streamed classes with some of these special guests throughout the summer. Here’s a rundown:
May 25: Jon Landau, Academy Award-winning Producer of Avatar and Titanic
Submit a question | Watch Live May 25 @ 7pm PT
May 31: Melissa Rosenberg, Acclaimed Writer and Producer of the Twilight Saga, Dexter and many others
Submit a question | Watch Live May 31 @ 7pm PT
June 1: SuzAnn Brantner, Head of Alternative Distribution and Marketing for Music, Film and Books at William Morris Endeavor
Submit a question | Watch Recorded Lecture from June 1
June 2: MysteryGuitarMan and FreddieW, YouTube Partners with millions of subscribers and views
Submit a question | Watch Live June 2 @ 7pm PT
June 14: McG, Director of Terminator Salvation and Charlie’s Angels, and Executive Producer of Supernatural, The OC and many others
Submit a question | Watch Live June 14 @ 7pm PT
July 7: Barely Political, one of YouTube’s most subscribed channels and creators of Obama Girl, Key of Awesome and Autotune the News
Submit a question | Watch Live July 7 @ 4pm PT
This program, in addition to YouTube NextUp, are part of the YouTube Next mission to supercharge creator development and accelerate Partner growth and success. Each program has a uniquely-created curriculum, featuring the skills of each university to provide YouTubers with storytelling and production techniques, as well as new media skills to be successful in today’s media.
You can visit youtube.com/creatorinstitute for more info around notices and links to guest lectures. Stay tuned for more surprises and more ways to get involved in YouTube creator programs this summer.
Bing Chen, YouTube Creator Institute Lead, recently watched “Never Enough - D-Pryde (Produced By: Scena) (Original).”
Non-Valet Parking Transportation Options
The damn bar is right by the intersection of the Route 15 trolley and the El.
SEPTA Pro Tip
My local transit authority is pretty easy to navigate for regular riders, especially passholders, but can be a giant pain for people unfamiliar with it. There are no more ticket machines for the regional rail system, token machines are not at the majority of subway stations, many rail stations don't have open ticket counters, and the fare system isn't very easy to figure out.
But they do one thing mostly right, and that's the independence pass. If you're a suburbanite who occasionally rides into the city to spend the day, buy a few and stash them somewhere. For the price of a zone 3 round trip train ticket ($11) you can ride unlimited everything (other than a Trenton surcharge) for the day.
But they do one thing mostly right, and that's the independence pass. If you're a suburbanite who occasionally rides into the city to spend the day, buy a few and stash them somewhere. For the price of a zone 3 round trip train ticket ($11) you can ride unlimited everything (other than a Trenton surcharge) for the day.
True Freedom
The first commenter on this article neatly expresses how a lot of people see the world.
As I've tried to get across many times, a lot of people have experienced development which is too-dense-but-not-quite-dense-enough and without sufficient alternative transit options. In this world, our friend True Freedom is correct. But if you have alternative transit, and you have sufficient population for walkable neighborhoods with retail and other amenities, then it stops being the case that more people exacerbate the problem. More people don't have to equal more traffic and more congestion. The problem isn't too many people, it's too many cars.
True Freedom at 4:27 PM May 16, 2011
I'd like to see us quit building high density condos and cramming more and more people into each of our little cities. This only exacerbates the problem.. more traffic, more congestion, more pollution..
As I've tried to get across many times, a lot of people have experienced development which is too-dense-but-not-quite-dense-enough and without sufficient alternative transit options. In this world, our friend True Freedom is correct. But if you have alternative transit, and you have sufficient population for walkable neighborhoods with retail and other amenities, then it stops being the case that more people exacerbate the problem. More people don't have to equal more traffic and more congestion. The problem isn't too many people, it's too many cars.
Remorse
Sadly the only real option people have when things suck is to vote the current bastards out. They did it in the UK, they'll do it in Spain, etc. I doubt most people voting on that basis expect that conservatives will be better, though the LibDems basically said fuck you to all the people who voted for them, but I don't blame people for chucking Labour out or, frankly, the House Dems in 2010.
Perhaps if there was political party which would campaign on making peoples' lives better, instead of actively rooting for more suffering, this dynamic would change.
Perhaps if there was political party which would campaign on making peoples' lives better, instead of actively rooting for more suffering, this dynamic would change.
Sow, Reap
I don't think there's a Senate dem who has encouraged the austerity need narrative more than Claire McCaskill. Sadly it's her constituents who will be doing the reaping.
More BoBo
I will say that I approve of the more honest open contempt for the electorate BoBo's been expressing lately rather than the usual "only millionaire DC pundits have the ability to speak for the masses" that we used to get.
Duh
As I've been saying for months...
And you know, even if there's a grand bargain to turn granny into pauper, and everyone pinky swears not to use it as a campaign issue, outsider groups and challengers will.
Democrats would do themselves a favor if they paid close attention to this report from Ben Smith, which says that Republicans will respond to the Dem offensive on Medicare by going hard at Dems from the left:
And you know, even if there's a grand bargain to turn granny into pauper, and everyone pinky swears not to use it as a campaign issue, outsider groups and challengers will.
Fibblety Fi Larglebarglery Bloop Bloop
Newt Gingrich informs us that his bold tax cutting plan will raise revenue, while other politicians want to raise taxes because they like more revenue, unlike him.
No this makes no sense. Yes it's what Republicans have been telling us for decades. No, no one in the press ever notices the contradiction.
No this makes no sense. Yes it's what Republicans have been telling us for decades. No, no one in the press ever notices the contradiction.
Pink Pork
Restaurants have been increasingly serving less cooked pork over the years, and now they have the USDA blessing to do so. Having grown up believing that anything less than charred pork will result in instant trichinosis and death it took some getting used to, but there are actually only around a dozen cases per year.
"Functioning Political Culture"
Glenn's right that one little paragraph sums up nicely the views of Brooks and many others. It isn't just a conservative thing, either, though I think decades of mostly Republican executive branches has made the club a Republican one.
It's no exaggeration to say that impeachment happened in large part because Clinton was the outsider who "trashed the place." Trashing the place just meant a minor reorganization of the pecking order. Suddenly Lee Hamilton was a tiny bit more important than James Baker, that kind of thing.
It's no exaggeration to say that impeachment happened in large part because Clinton was the outsider who "trashed the place." Trashing the place just meant a minor reorganization of the pecking order. Suddenly Lee Hamilton was a tiny bit more important than James Baker, that kind of thing.
With What Army
I'm sure defiance of the law will make him even more Brave and Bold!
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled this morning that the state must boost funding for the 31 poor districts known as former Abbotts in the coming fiscal year.
...
In recent weeks, the governor has also said he might defy any court order to spend more on schools this year, and criticized judges for intruding on elected leaders’ authority to set budgets.
But He's Fiscally Responsible!
Obviously I don't there's necessarily anything wrong with borrowing to pay for infrastructure, but Republican governors in New Jersey have a history of forcing other people to pick up the tab as the press gives them glowing press about how moderate and responsible they are.
Music Tuesday: Under-the-radar artists, music from everyday objects and Making Friendz
While Lady Gaga tears up the charts (and makes her entire album available on YouTube), we’re dedicating this week to the under-the-radar artists who pump creative juices into YouTube’s veins. We’ve got a treasure trove of talent, starting with Diego Stocco, the Italian inventor/composer/multi-instrumentalist who can make an instrument out of discarded pianos and a song out of a bonsai tree. Jeff Pianki is a young singer-songwriter who wins hearts the old-fashioned way: with sweet lyrics and catchy melodies. Sanders Bohlke, the folk artist from Mississippi, has videos as easygoing as his music. And finally, Yasuhito Watanabe is a Japanese singer-songwriter brimming with crossover potential. Check them all out on youtube.com/music today.
Music from Everyday Objects
Can you make music out of a blow dryer? A bicycle? A bonsai tree? It turns out that a lot more artists think so than you might expect. Diego Stocco’s inventive pursuit of new sources for sound got us curious about who else is corralling everyday objects to make music on YouTube. And what we found is delightful: music made from wine glasses, a bottle opener, an old Soviet camera, a refrigerator door, Game Boys and much more.
Making Friendz “Situtation” video premiere
Making Friendz is Tami Hart, the former folk musician-turned-party girl who claims to be ripping off her buddies No Age, found herself a member of the tranny/dance collective MEN earlier this year, and is now gearing up for a new release on June 21. The first single is a big, noisy party song that’s equal parts New Pornographers and Valley Girl-era sass. And it’s perfectly matched by a crazy video from the directing team Wildwoodils. It’s all gross-out, 1980s Nickolodeon humor -- and very worth your time.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Unidentified suspects triptych by Isaac Cordel.”
Music from Everyday Objects
Can you make music out of a blow dryer? A bicycle? A bonsai tree? It turns out that a lot more artists think so than you might expect. Diego Stocco’s inventive pursuit of new sources for sound got us curious about who else is corralling everyday objects to make music on YouTube. And what we found is delightful: music made from wine glasses, a bottle opener, an old Soviet camera, a refrigerator door, Game Boys and much more.
Making Friendz “Situtation” video premiere
Making Friendz is Tami Hart, the former folk musician-turned-party girl who claims to be ripping off her buddies No Age, found herself a member of the tranny/dance collective MEN earlier this year, and is now gearing up for a new release on June 21. The first single is a big, noisy party song that’s equal parts New Pornographers and Valley Girl-era sass. And it’s perfectly matched by a crazy video from the directing team Wildwoodils. It’s all gross-out, 1980s Nickolodeon humor -- and very worth your time.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Unidentified suspects triptych by Isaac Cordel.”
Fleeting
The weird thing to me about all the Republican crushes that our right wing and supposedly not right wing media figures get is how fleeting they usually are. I think basically every Republican with a pulse, and a few without, has, at some point in time, been pushed as the Great White Hope, a Rising Star, a Likely Contender, blah blah blah.
Good Morning
Between Ahrnold and Dominique Strauss-Kahn I'm getting the feeling we haven't come such a long way, baby.
Oh, and the German story of the insurance company supplying hookers at a party thrown for its top salesman. There may be more work to be done.
Oh, and the German story of the insurance company supplying hookers at a party thrown for its top salesman. There may be more work to be done.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Herd
Fortunately we've been in yur cities increasing yur property values, so you probably can't afford to move there.
Joking aside...I get that a 25% increase in gas prices is a real hit for a lot of people, but... I also find it weird that so many people don't notice that gas actually costs money until it goes up a bit. That $6 commute a few months ago was... $4.50.
Joking aside...I get that a 25% increase in gas prices is a real hit for a lot of people, but... I also find it weird that so many people don't notice that gas actually costs money until it goes up a bit. That $6 commute a few months ago was... $4.50.
David Brooks Giving A Seminar In Aspen
Apparently my invitation to participate was lost in the mail, along with a bag of cash from Peterson.
*** REMINDER: MEDIA ADVISORY***
Nation’s Lawmakers and Budget Experts to Convene at Fiscal Summit in Washington on May 25 to Discuss Elements of Potential Fiscal Bargain
Participants in Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s 2nd Annual Fiscal Summit to Include President Bill Clinton, Members of Congress, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, Governor Mitch Daniels, National Fiscal Commission Co-Chair Alan Simpson and Member David Cote, New York Times Columnist David Brooks and The Atlantic Business and Economics Editor Megan McArdle
McCain Won
I've said this about Mittens, but it's even more true for Huntsman who still has a chance to take a step back from the wingnuttery path. McCain won the primary by positioning himself as the serious elder statesman. For a long time it looked like he wouldn't win, but then Republican primary voters decided the rest of them were unelectable goofballs and so they came home to McCain. Despite the crazy base, the "serious" candidate often wins the Republican primary.
Because Of The Press
It doesn't matter how responsible Republicans are for deficits or if their fake plans actually don't do anything except cut taxes for rich people, the press will always paint the GOP as "fiscally responsible" and "deficit hawks." It's one of those DC things that just is. Do not question!
Earth Tones
I look forward to the numerous articles about Pawlenty's lack of authenticity as he turned his back on his mullet-American roots when he decided the national stage was for him.
Wee Suggestion: Sternly Worded Letters Won't Do The Trick
Hopefully the California AG is genuinely open to locking people up.
California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, saying that years of unscrupulous lending still haunts the state, is creating a 25-person task force to target mortgage fraud of any size — from small operations that preyed on troubled borrowers to corporations that sold risky loans as safe investments.
Pomp and Circumstance....and speeches!
Across the country, students are throwing on caps and gowns and marching across graduation stages to collect well-deserved diplomas. As important to a graduation ceremony as “Pomp and Circumstance”, commencement addresses have become a central component of the big day. From celebrities to humanitarians to heads of state, colleges and universities are putting a big focus on speakers that will inspire and entertain those gathered for the occasion.
Before online video, you would have to be a graduate or guest to receive these pearls of wisdom. Even then, you’d probably only be able to see a handful of commencement addresses in your lifetime. Now with YouTube, these speeches are available any day and to anyone seeking inspiration. With more than 5,000 videos for ‘commencement speech’, YouTube houses a vast repository of commencement addresses. Through YouTube EDU, colleges and universities have uploaded over 1,600 videos to their own channels.
You can hear J.K. Rowling share with Harvard University the impact failing early in her career had on ultimately achieving her life’s dream. You can join Ellen DeGeneres as she celebrates Tulane University’s graduating “Katrina Class” in her native New Orleans. For all history buffs out there, you can hear Sir Winston Churchill deliver his famous “Never Give In” speech at the Harrow School in London and John F. Kennedy discuss the importance of world peace in the context of the Cold War at American University. Try not to laugh watching Conan O’Brien’s address at Harvard University or Stephen Colbert’s at Knox College.
Before online video, you would have to be a graduate or guest to receive these pearls of wisdom. Even then, you’d probably only be able to see a handful of commencement addresses in your lifetime. Now with YouTube, these speeches are available any day and to anyone seeking inspiration. With more than 5,000 videos for ‘commencement speech’, YouTube houses a vast repository of commencement addresses. Through YouTube EDU, colleges and universities have uploaded over 1,600 videos to their own channels.
You can hear J.K. Rowling share with Harvard University the impact failing early in her career had on ultimately achieving her life’s dream. You can join Ellen DeGeneres as she celebrates Tulane University’s graduating “Katrina Class” in her native New Orleans. For all history buffs out there, you can hear Sir Winston Churchill deliver his famous “Never Give In” speech at the Harrow School in London and John F. Kennedy discuss the importance of world peace in the context of the Cold War at American University. Try not to laugh watching Conan O’Brien’s address at Harvard University or Stephen Colbert’s at Knox College.
Here’s a small sampling of the speeches available on YouTube:
Angela Lin, YouTube EDU Manager, recently watched “Bill Cosby’s Keynote Speech”.
- Conan O’Brien, Harvard University, Part 1, Part 2, 2000
- Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University, 2008
- Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane University, 2009
- Steve Jobs, Stanford University, 2005
- Meryl Streep, Barnard College, Columbia University, 2010
- Lisa Kudrow, Vassar College, 2010
- Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 1941
- John F. Kennedy, American University, 1963
- Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008
- Tom Brokaw, Stanford University, 2006
- Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barnard College, Columbia University, 2009
- Stephen Colbert, Knox College, 2006
- Tim Russert, U. of Mass, Boston, 2002
- President Barack Obama, Notre Dame University, 2009
- J.K Rowling, Harvard University, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, 2008
- Bono, University of Pennsylvania, 2004
- Bill Cosby, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008
Angela Lin, YouTube EDU Manager, recently watched “Bill Cosby’s Keynote Speech”.
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