Sunday, July 31, 2011
Better thread than dead
Marcy Wheeler (emptywheel) and Stuart Zechman should be interesting tonight on Virtually Speaking Sundays. Listen live now at 9:00 PM Eastern, or later you can stream or download the podcast at the link.
And maybe they will talk about our feral elite!
Signed,
Not Atrios
And maybe they will talk about our feral elite!
Signed,
Not Atrios
SUPERCONGRESS
Some details aren't clear to me yet, but seems like they've hit on the perfect combination of stupid and evil for the debt ceiling "deal."
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has McConnell and Schumer.
This Week has Plouffe and Lindsey Graham.
Meet the Press has Plouffe, McCaskill, some Republican House member you've never heard of, and Granholm.
Document the atrocities!
This Week has Plouffe and Lindsey Graham.
Meet the Press has Plouffe, McCaskill, some Republican House member you've never heard of, and Granholm.
Document the atrocities!
Now They Tell Us
As I keep saying, the other way to cure the deficit is, you know, awesome
But it's a lot more fun to look responsible by making other people suffer.
But there is, in theory, a happy solution to our debt troubles. It’s called economic growth. No need to raise taxes or cut programs. Just get the economy growing the way it used to.
But it's a lot more fun to look responsible by making other people suffer.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Going Forward
I have no crystal ball, but increasingly there are reasons to believe that we might not just have an 'economy not getting better fast enough' situation but instead an 'economy getting worse again' situation.
We could always cut spending I guess.
We could always cut spending I guess.
The Stupid
I'm honestly ready to get back to trying to figure out who the next Hitler of the Week is and which country we should invade next. At least it distracts the Villagers from cutting Social Security for a little while.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Love, fear and car keys
As the world is starting to see Life in a Day—the documentary distilled from 80,000 videos submitted to YouTube from 190+ countries—many people have asked us how the film is structured. Woven into the collage of videos from Australia to Zambia, from the heart of bustling cities to the remote reaches of the earth, are responses to three universal questions: What do you love? What do you fear? What’s in your pocket? Check out some of the answers to these questions in the Life in a Day trailer:
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Life in a Day’s filming date, we’d love to hear your answer to these questions. So tell us, what do you love, what do you fear and what’s in your pocket? Upload a video to YouTube, share a photo on Google+, tweet us with the #lifeinaday hashtag and invite your family and friends to join. Let’s spark a dialogue and continue the passion of Life in a Day by highlighting the things that connect us across the globe.
For more information about Life in a Day and where to see it this weekend, visit the Life in a Day channel.
Raymond Braun, Entertainment Marketing, recently watched “Life in a Day Teaser #1: Slim Up.”
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Life in a Day’s filming date, we’d love to hear your answer to these questions. So tell us, what do you love, what do you fear and what’s in your pocket? Upload a video to YouTube, share a photo on Google+, tweet us with the #lifeinaday hashtag and invite your family and friends to join. Let’s spark a dialogue and continue the passion of Life in a Day by highlighting the things that connect us across the globe.
For more information about Life in a Day and where to see it this weekend, visit the Life in a Day channel.
Raymond Braun, Entertainment Marketing, recently watched “Life in a Day Teaser #1: Slim Up.”
Friday Night
Gonna be busy for the next few days so blogging will be a bit irregular.
Talk amongst yourselves.
Talk amongst yourselves.
YouTube is what you make it
Did you ever think you’d be a part of a revolution? Wonder if your contributions to the world would add up to something greater?
As we take the stage today at VidCon 2011, I can tell you for certain that they have. This two day gathering of annoying oranges, ukulele stars, voracious vloggers, super fans and thousands of other YouTubers like you is about changing the media landscape—one upload, view and mashup at a time. Not satisfied with just watching media, you've become the media. Not satisfied with flipping channels complaining there’s nothing on, you’ve created new ones with hundreds of millions of viewers, some of which will become as well known as networks like MTV, CNN and ESPN.
To all the people who are creating content on YouTube, THANK YOU. You have built the site into what it is today and we’re as committed as ever to providing you with the tools you need to make high quality videos and drive audiences to your channels. Initiatives like YouTube NextUp, the YouTube Creator Institute, and the revamped Creator Hub are part of this effort, as is the work we’re doing to make YouTube easy to watch on TV. And keep the feedback coming on Cosmic Panda—we look forward to re-inventing with you how YouTube works and feels in the future.
If you weren’t able to make it to VidCon this year and are eager to catch some familiar YouTube faces, we’ll be livestreaming a special VidCon performance on Saturday at 5pm PT. Come by and check it out!
Salar Kamangar, Head of YouTube, recently watched “VidCon 2011 Approaches.”
As we take the stage today at VidCon 2011, I can tell you for certain that they have. This two day gathering of annoying oranges, ukulele stars, voracious vloggers, super fans and thousands of other YouTubers like you is about changing the media landscape—one upload, view and mashup at a time. Not satisfied with just watching media, you've become the media. Not satisfied with flipping channels complaining there’s nothing on, you’ve created new ones with hundreds of millions of viewers, some of which will become as well known as networks like MTV, CNN and ESPN.
To all the people who are creating content on YouTube, THANK YOU. You have built the site into what it is today and we’re as committed as ever to providing you with the tools you need to make high quality videos and drive audiences to your channels. Initiatives like YouTube NextUp, the YouTube Creator Institute, and the revamped Creator Hub are part of this effort, as is the work we’re doing to make YouTube easy to watch on TV. And keep the feedback coming on Cosmic Panda—we look forward to re-inventing with you how YouTube works and feels in the future.
If you weren’t able to make it to VidCon this year and are eager to catch some familiar YouTube faces, we’ll be livestreaming a special VidCon performance on Saturday at 5pm PT. Come by and check it out!
Salar Kamangar, Head of YouTube, recently watched “VidCon 2011 Approaches.”
All I Can Do Is Repeat Myself
It's criminal that elites are not doing the obvious thing, borrowing money for cheap and spending it.
The Big Money
I actually have no idea why the $2 trillion coin option would lead to a downgrade of US debt. I mean, sure, the ratings agencies might do so for whatever random reasons because they're idiots, but there's no legitimate reason for them to do so. At this point in time, any way to print free money is a good thing. If the Fed won't do it, the Treasury should.
"Less Than Expected"
It is a theme these days.
So many problems could be solved by simply giving people other than banksters some free money.
Which is why, of course, we aren't doing it.
So many problems could be solved by simply giving people other than banksters some free money.
Which is why, of course, we aren't doing it.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Incoherent
I don't even know what the hell the teabaggers want. Oppose whatever Obama might not veto, and blow up the world seems to be the agenda.
Better Living Through The Suffering Of Others
This is all just part of the morality play which is going on in the heads of rich people. I don't know precisely who he imagines is going to experience pain, but generally the theory is once poor people suffer a bit more for the sins of rich people everything will be ok again.
Introducing Smarter Every Day, your July On The Rise winner
Congratulations to Smarter Every Day (aka destinws2), who received the most votes in July’s On The Rise poll to become this month’s winner. Smarter Every Day will own the homepage spotlight all day today, thanks to your support.
Smarter Every Day is the result of Destin's fascination with the scientific method and his job as a rocket tester, bringing science to life with experiments like tracking movement patterns of chicken’s head and a DIY high-speed camera. Destin aims to have the channel leave you a little smarter about the science behind our world, while also hoping to motivate his children to explore and even to help with their college education. To kick off your experience with Smarter Every Day, Destin put together a Rube Goldberg system of rockets that’s eye-popping for both the visuals and the fact that he made it in 36 hours.
Here’s a word from Destin about Smarter Every Day:
Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched “Magnet making Current - Smarter Every Day 16.”
Smarter Every Day is the result of Destin's fascination with the scientific method and his job as a rocket tester, bringing science to life with experiments like tracking movement patterns of chicken’s head and a DIY high-speed camera. Destin aims to have the channel leave you a little smarter about the science behind our world, while also hoping to motivate his children to explore and even to help with their college education. To kick off your experience with Smarter Every Day, Destin put together a Rube Goldberg system of rockets that’s eye-popping for both the visuals and the fact that he made it in 36 hours.
Here’s a word from Destin about Smarter Every Day:
Imagine a Junior High school science fair except the kids have Master's degrees in Rocket Propulsion and have access to much cooler resources. Since I could talk I've always asked ‘why,’ and I frequently setup experiments to answer just that question. I love to explore creation using the tools of the Scientific method as my map and compass. The saying I've taught my children is that ‘in a world of talkers we are to be thinkers and doers.’ I am very thankful for those who took the time to vote for ‘Smarter Every Day’ in the On The Rise video contest. Come join the fun and contribute science projects you'd like to see in this science fair!If you’ve enjoyed monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!
Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched “Magnet making Current - Smarter Every Day 16.”
Optimism
I think even the pessimists are too optimistic. There isn't actually any reason for the economy to magically get better in two or ten years. I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying that with all policy levers working against it there's no reason to believe it's inevitable.
Easy
I get annoyed when people say that it's hard to spend money on government construction projects because it takes a lot of time. That's true for some projects. But it isn't true when the project is "digging up the street to replace 100-year-old pipes." I don't know the details of the water systems of all cities, but I imagine the water departments of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston would have no trouble spending money quickly and on very legitimate projects.
Riding
I don't have any major theories about why my local transit authority has experienced its greatest ridership levels since 1989 (and commuter rail use at record levels). It's probably mostly a bunch of small things working together. But I do think there has been a small cultural shift in that not owning a car doesn't make you a loser anymore.
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The bit about narcissists I don't understand is how they seem to get along with each other.
Ireland & the Vatican
The whole world is falling apart, but if you will, spare a moment to observe how angry Ireland is at the Vatican.
A lot of things that used to be true, ain't.
A lot of things that used to be true, ain't.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
I Stand Corrected.
Okay, so maybe on-camera flash is cool sometimes, too. Check out this video by the Japanese (of course) band Androp, for Bright Siren. Hit the jump for the BTS video, to see how it was done. Read more »
Praise Jeebus The Tire Swing Is Back
I admit it never even occurred to me that this could be excellent news for John McCain.
I forgot. It's always excellent news for John McCain.
I forgot. It's always excellent news for John McCain.
Making People Suffer For No Good Reason
Raising the Medicare eligibility age really is just going off to hurt people just because. The public cost savings, especially when accounting for the shift into either subsidized exchanges or Medicaid, would be minimal to nonexistent. It's really just horrible policy for every reason imaginable.
Smash
I think a significant portion of the population, and maybe most of us at least a little bit, are attracted to disasters. I forget who, but I think some comedian got in trouble around the time of Katrina for joking that he turns on the TV and roots for the hurricanes. It's not that I think most people really want the hurricane to kill lots of people. They are, in fact, horrified when the disaster actually happens. Still there's something about the idea of the disaster, if not the reality, that has a strange allure.
I'm betting it isn't just economic terrorism, it's also the thrill of the smash.
I'm betting it isn't just economic terrorism, it's also the thrill of the smash.
Team Whitey
Long ago decided that there really isn't anything Pat Buchanan could say which would get his MSNBC green room cot removed.
OH
Guy on cell phone outside:
*It was actually 11th st.
What the fuck? They removed lanes of traffic and put bike lanes on 10th St.* Where the fuck do they think we are? China? People fucking like to drive to work here.
*It was actually 11th st.
Bounce
One of the things that's become extremely clear is that this whole debt ceiling business is entirely artificial, as policy-dictating as the Humphrey-Hawkins Act. As this guy says, the Treasury is not gonna be bouncing any checks.
But the administration has embraced it, apparently as a mechanism to justify undoing the core elements of the New Deal.
(link via Dean Baker at Beat the Press.)
But the administration has embraced it, apparently as a mechanism to justify undoing the core elements of the New Deal.
(link via Dean Baker at Beat the Press.)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Celebrating the creativity of YouTube’s Partners
College friends make trick basketball shots into a career. A small blender company gets international attention by blending glow sticks and iPads. A musician goes from bagging groceries to beatboxing around the world. One of the most inspiring things about YouTube is the way people across the U.S. and around the world use it as a way to express their passions—and to turn those passions into careers.
There are more than 20,000 people in the YouTube Partner Program, and numerous other companies and organizations use YouTube to draw attention to their causes and promote their businesses. Hundreds of people are making six-figure incomes on the site, enabling them to hire editors and producers and create even more original content. We’re helping our Partners grow their careers by running programs like YouTube NextUp and Creator Institute, and working to make the site a better and better place for people to grow businesses and build audiences.
To shine a light on the many inspiring things happening on YouTube, we’ve put together a report sharing the stories of 20 YouTube Partners who are changing lives, businesses and in some cases, history. You can download a PDF version of “YouTube: Celebrating the next generation of creative video” or visit it online at youtube.com/awesomeytpartners. YouTube is a very special place because of the passion of our Partners and the positivity they bring, and we hope you’ll find these stories as uplifting as we do.
Tom Pickett, director of content operations and online creators, recently watched “WWII hero and alumnus Louis Zamperini visits USC Annenberg class."
There are more than 20,000 people in the YouTube Partner Program, and numerous other companies and organizations use YouTube to draw attention to their causes and promote their businesses. Hundreds of people are making six-figure incomes on the site, enabling them to hire editors and producers and create even more original content. We’re helping our Partners grow their careers by running programs like YouTube NextUp and Creator Institute, and working to make the site a better and better place for people to grow businesses and build audiences.
To shine a light on the many inspiring things happening on YouTube, we’ve put together a report sharing the stories of 20 YouTube Partners who are changing lives, businesses and in some cases, history. You can download a PDF version of “YouTube: Celebrating the next generation of creative video” or visit it online at youtube.com/awesomeytpartners. YouTube is a very special place because of the passion of our Partners and the positivity they bring, and we hope you’ll find these stories as uplifting as we do.
Tom Pickett, director of content operations and online creators, recently watched “WWII hero and alumnus Louis Zamperini visits USC Annenberg class."
There's No Point To Any Of This
People are tweeeting things along the lines of harhar Boehner's plan only cuts pennies from the deficit over the next couple of years. First point...hurray for Boehner! We're in an awful recession. Maybe even he understands that. The second point is that this just highlights how stupid it is to aim for arbitrary numbers over a ten year window when a) the 'hard' decisions are always made for a few years down the road, with some magic asterisks and b) anything which is passed can be undone by the next thing that passes. This Congress cannot and will not tie the hands of the next one.
Yes I get that the fiscal path can perhaps be nudged a bit in one direction or another, and I get that big changes to things like Social Security or Medicare can be a bit more durable than other changes(which is why I'm screaming to leave them alone), but even with those programs pissed off old people might get their way next time.
Yes I get that the fiscal path can perhaps be nudged a bit in one direction or another, and I get that big changes to things like Social Security or Medicare can be a bit more durable than other changes(which is why I'm screaming to leave them alone), but even with those programs pissed off old people might get their way next time.
Also, Too, The Taliban Have A Point
Aside from the "sympathy with the devil who sympathizes with me," I'm amused (or horrified depending on the day) that conservatives are incapable of understanding that there are also left wingers who have political and societal concerns and their basic reasoning should apply equally to them. But, of course, they don't because liberal concerns are completely invalid.
The point is that if some liberal started shooting up catholic priests, or whoever, pissed off because of abortion laws, I doubt Chunky BoBo would write a "extremists only grow stronger when a political system pretends that problems don’t exist" column. It would, instead, simply be a lesson on the evils of liberals and liberalism and blahblahblah.
The point is that if some liberal started shooting up catholic priests, or whoever, pissed off because of abortion laws, I doubt Chunky BoBo would write a "extremists only grow stronger when a political system pretends that problems don’t exist" column. It would, instead, simply be a lesson on the evils of liberals and liberalism and blahblahblah.
Grifters Gonna Grift
I also enjoyed this series of tweets from Grifter Warren.
RickWarren Rick WarrenEvery church is flawed.Still,you'd better learn to love it, since its the only group Jesus said he's taking to heaven.RickWarren Rick WarrenThe Church is the only thing on earth that will last for eternity. God wanted a family, not merely saved individuals.See Eph 1:21»RickWarren Rick WarrenIf you want to know how much the CHURCH matters to Jesus, just look at the Cross. "Christ died for his church." Eph 5:25-27RickWarren Rick WarrenTelling Jesus "I love u but dont need your church" is like telling your wife "I love u but dont need your Body. Fake love.RickWarren Rick WarrenOnly in our culture of idolatrous individualism are believers think they can follow Jesus without belonging to a Body.RickWarren Rick Warren"The family of God is the Church of the living God. It is the SUPPORT & FOUNDATION of the truth" 1 Tim. 3:15RickWarren Rick WarrenYou simply CANNOT love Jesus without loving his Body, his Bride, & his Family who he died for. Period.Case closed. Gal6:10
How Rich White Assholes View The World
A quote from Martin Feldstein in the Financial Times:
Except for closing some loopholes and deductions that Martin Feldstein would probably support as part of a broader deal, the only tax increases he's supported would hit 2% of the population, and be trivial amount for most of those hit. But, yeah, that's what's wrong with the economy, not the fact that the other 98% don't have any goddamn money.
President Obama's relentless call for higher taxes discourages spending by businesses and households.
Except for closing some loopholes and deductions that Martin Feldstein would probably support as part of a broader deal, the only tax increases he's supported would hit 2% of the population, and be trivial amount for most of those hit. But, yeah, that's what's wrong with the economy, not the fact that the other 98% don't have any goddamn money.
Self-Correcting
All through this there's been a strong belief by elites that the economy would just correct itself, that we'd eventually just work our way through the business cycle, that a stimulus "insurance policy" would be enough to take the edge off until the free market fairies recovered from their bender and got back to work.
But we know it doesn't always work that way. We've known it for a long time.
But we know it doesn't always work that way. We've known it for a long time.
Shrinking Our Way To Prosperity
Others have pointed this out, but it is similar to the time leading up to the Iraq war, when dirty hippies would point out obviously stupid and false things only to be mocked by the Very Serious People who were busy applying duct tape to their houses.
But, no, austerity won't work there and it won't work here. Anyone actually concerned about the deficit would be concerned about jobs.
But, no, austerity won't work there and it won't work here. Anyone actually concerned about the deficit would be concerned about jobs.
Their Brains Are Flat
As Pareene says, the problem isn't that Tom Friedman exists, the problem is that supposedly smart people actually think he's ever worth listening to.
Liars
I imagine this is one of the Right's more effective fake facts. Everybody pays taxes. Even really poor people pay taxes. So when poor people who pay taxes hear there are all of these people out there not paying taxes, they probably get pretty pissed.
So What's Next
So after we get all of this current unpleasantness behind us, the exciting agenda will be?
Music Tuesday: Bjork, Mick Jagger and bidding farewell to Amy Winehouse
The death of Amy Winehouse on Saturday has dominated music headlines. This week on youtube.com/music, we commemorate her talent and mourn her passing, while also turning our gaze to a famous rocker’s birthday and a video premiere.
RIP Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse came into the music world as a singer-songwriter who had the phrasing of a world-class jazz singer and the swagger of a hip-hop star. She left it as a tragedy and cautionary tale. Winehouse was just 27 years old when she died—the same age as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. It’s both auspicious and grim company to keep, and Ms. Winehouse fulfilled both attributes, grabbing the world’s attention with her ferociously good music (which succeeded, in no small part, thanks to the contributions from her borrowed band The Dap-Kings) and then slowly squandering that attention with increasingly addled behavior that was fueled by her multiple addictions.
After the story fades, the music will remain. People may think of the bravado-laden “Rehab” as her signature song, but the flipside of Winehouse’s bravado was intense vulnerability, which you hear in spades on wonderful songs like “Love Is A Losing Game” or the deceptively upbeat “He Can Only Hold Her.” To pay homage to Winehouse, we shied away from her official music videos and looked for live performances that let you experience her towering talent more directly -- as well as her charm and humor.
Happy Birthday, Mick
Rock’s most dynamic frontman turns 68 years old today. We salute the Jagger-meister with a playlist of videos capturing his onstage antics through the years.
Bjork “Crystalline” video premiere
The Icelandic singer has made a career of subverting expectations and pushing boundaries, so it’s no surprise that her upcoming album Biophilia is in fact not an album but an app that’s due out in September. You can chew on that, or you can check out her mystical new video for “Crystalline,” which debuts with us today.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “The DL - Amy Winehouse ‘Valerie’ Live.”
RIP Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse came into the music world as a singer-songwriter who had the phrasing of a world-class jazz singer and the swagger of a hip-hop star. She left it as a tragedy and cautionary tale. Winehouse was just 27 years old when she died—the same age as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. It’s both auspicious and grim company to keep, and Ms. Winehouse fulfilled both attributes, grabbing the world’s attention with her ferociously good music (which succeeded, in no small part, thanks to the contributions from her borrowed band The Dap-Kings) and then slowly squandering that attention with increasingly addled behavior that was fueled by her multiple addictions.
After the story fades, the music will remain. People may think of the bravado-laden “Rehab” as her signature song, but the flipside of Winehouse’s bravado was intense vulnerability, which you hear in spades on wonderful songs like “Love Is A Losing Game” or the deceptively upbeat “He Can Only Hold Her.” To pay homage to Winehouse, we shied away from her official music videos and looked for live performances that let you experience her towering talent more directly -- as well as her charm and humor.
Happy Birthday, Mick
Rock’s most dynamic frontman turns 68 years old today. We salute the Jagger-meister with a playlist of videos capturing his onstage antics through the years.
Bjork “Crystalline” video premiere
The Icelandic singer has made a career of subverting expectations and pushing boundaries, so it’s no surprise that her upcoming album Biophilia is in fact not an album but an app that’s due out in September. You can chew on that, or you can check out her mystical new video for “Crystalline,” which debuts with us today.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “The DL - Amy Winehouse ‘Valerie’ Live.”
Monday, July 25, 2011
Cutting Spending
Yes, as Kevin Drum says they care about cutting spending for "undeserving people" to some degree, but that's different than saying they care about cutting aggregate spending. There are some programs Republicans don't like that Dems (sorta) do which they'd happily cut, but there's a pretty good chance they'd just turn around and throw it all at the DoD or on farm subsidies or whatever.
They point is they don't really have any ideological commitment to "small government" as measured by the amount of money the government spends. They want the spoils to go to their team, and they don't want rich people to have to pay for any of it.
They point is they don't really have any ideological commitment to "small government" as measured by the amount of money the government spends. They want the spoils to go to their team, and they don't want rich people to have to pay for any of it.
Watch Jane’s Addiction perform live tonight
The band who helped invent alternative rock is breaking new ground yet again—this time in partnership with YouTube and LG. Tonight at 6pm PT / 9pm ET, Jane’s Addiction will perform live at JFK Airport’s Terminal 5—and you can watch the entire show as it happens on youtube.com/comealive. But that’s not the half of it: intrepid audience members will be able to capture 3D footage of the show on their LG Thrill 4G phones and see it edited into a 60-minute 3D documentary which will premiere on YouTube on August 4 right here.
Jane’s Addiction are a combustible band who’ve always pushed boundaries in their videos. They ran afoul of MTV back in 1988 with their opus for the thundering single “Mountain Song,” off of Nothing’s Shocking, which featured full frontal nudity. The band learned their lesson, and the hilarious “Been Caught Stealing” got heavy rotation on MTV, maintaining the band’s irreverent sense of humor while slipping its celebration of theft past the censors.
But the band was always good for more than just shock value. For the post-punk generation, Perry Farrell’s keening caterwaul and Dave Navarro’s gigantic riffs made rock’n’roll exciting and dangerous again. Along with the Pixies, the band pioneered the “loud-quiet-loud” dynamic that Nirvana would quickly popularize. Though the band split up just as the alternative rock revolution got underway, their music remained a hallmark of the sound, and it’s aged well. Two new releases have proven the band remains a vital force.
So if you’ve got a budding rock photographer in you, or you’re jonesing to capture Perry Farrell’s primal squawk on camera, get yourself to Terminal 5. And for those of you getting excited for the live stream tonight, get a load of this classic song while you wait.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently rocked out to “Mountain Song [Clean Version].”
Jane’s Addiction are a combustible band who’ve always pushed boundaries in their videos. They ran afoul of MTV back in 1988 with their opus for the thundering single “Mountain Song,” off of Nothing’s Shocking, which featured full frontal nudity. The band learned their lesson, and the hilarious “Been Caught Stealing” got heavy rotation on MTV, maintaining the band’s irreverent sense of humor while slipping its celebration of theft past the censors.
But the band was always good for more than just shock value. For the post-punk generation, Perry Farrell’s keening caterwaul and Dave Navarro’s gigantic riffs made rock’n’roll exciting and dangerous again. Along with the Pixies, the band pioneered the “loud-quiet-loud” dynamic that Nirvana would quickly popularize. Though the band split up just as the alternative rock revolution got underway, their music remained a hallmark of the sound, and it’s aged well. Two new releases have proven the band remains a vital force.
So if you’ve got a budding rock photographer in you, or you’re jonesing to capture Perry Farrell’s primal squawk on camera, get yourself to Terminal 5. And for those of you getting excited for the live stream tonight, get a load of this classic song while you wait.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently rocked out to “Mountain Song [Clean Version].”
BC3 #2 Shot: Middle Archaic Spear Point
The local focus of Boot Camp III did not happen by chance. As many of you know, I have been working on a local blog, HoCo360, for about a year now. Over the last couple of months, an idea hit me that I think will both make the site better and increase its value to the local community.The blog itself continues to ramble along seeming randomly. But it will soon contain a module of posts which will comprise a complete, structured guide to Howard County. Leading off in that module is s section on local history, which is what led me to photograph the ~4,000 year old spear point seen above. Read more »
They Don't Really Want To Cut Spending
I think the largely unacknowledged bit of all of this nonsense is that most Republicans in Congress don't really want to cut spending, or more specifically they don't want to own cutting spending. Their main concern is tax cuts for rich people, spending is secondary, and the deficit matters not at all to them. Sure they want to be seen as wanting to cut spending, in the abstract, because that's their brand, but they don't actually want to be responsible for the spending cuts. Their position is: give us the cuts and don't make us vote for them. Their problem is that while the crazy teabaggers in Congress would generally be happy to vote for all kinds of spending cuts,they won't vote for them if they're attached to the debt ceiling. So that means Republicans more concerned with elections will have to vote for them, along with some Democrats.
One True Christian
I have no idea this guy was "Christian" in the sense of being a deep believer in something resembling contemporary Christianity and a regular churchgoer, or if he's just "Christian" in a basic tribal sense like many people. Regardless, from what I've seen he's motivated by basic ethnic/racial tribalism combined with a belief in a Great Conflict and not by the belief that Jesus told him to do it.
Still I do love the right winger "if he did something I don't approve of he isn't really Christian" reasoning.
Still I do love the right winger "if he did something I don't approve of he isn't really Christian" reasoning.
Where We Are
I love the widespread belief (true or not) that if the stock market drops a few hundreds points or so then Congress will be forced to act instantly.
The Idea of Growing Old
I cheer for gay marriage as a total sucker for romance. Real Life is not a Good Story, but hey, falling in love is one of life's adventures, and as long as our society is going to end romance stories with marriage, well... true love, baby! Shoot for it.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
#FU DC
Twitter has moderated the hashtag so it doesn't appear in the trending list, but the twitter is filled with people tweeting #fuckyouwashington. Jeff Jarvis started the hashtag and it's exploding.
The twitter also tells me that Pelosi and Reid are now at the White House, saving America's future.
The twitter also tells me that Pelosi and Reid are now at the White House, saving America's future.
Pesky Voters
You'll have to find it yourself, but little Tommy Friedman has penned another tribute to "the radical center," those group of people who are neither radical nor of the center and who are the most overrepresented people in Washington. Still what they need isn't simply power, but love, the undying and undeniable love of voters which escapes them every couple of years. Tommy knows that the plush offices of a hedge fund money backed reincarnation of Unity '08, called Americans Elect, will finally stir the voters to endorse, with grass roots input of course*, Everything Tommy Friedman Truly Believes. And, well, after that we might as well just stop with the whole voting thing. The people will have spoken, and the Plutocrat Party will begin their thousand year reign.
*What every pretends to not know is that any online political site that truly lets the internet dictate its agenda will end with a NORML-Ron Paul joint ticket. Not that it would necessarily be so bad at this point.
*What every pretends to not know is that any online political site that truly lets the internet dictate its agenda will end with a NORML-Ron Paul joint ticket. Not that it would necessarily be so bad at this point.
Stupid Policy And Stupid Politics
The geniuses in charge think abstract concepts like the 'deficit' are more important than jobs or the actual impact of those cuts.
I don't know why.
I don't know why.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Meet the Press has Bill Daley, Coburn, some House Republican you've never heard of, and Corey Booker.
This Week has Timmeh.
Face the Nation has Daley, Kyl, Warner, Durbin, and Chambliss.
Document the atrocities!
This Week has Timmeh.
Face the Nation has Daley, Kyl, Warner, Durbin, and Chambliss.
Document the atrocities!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Exchanges
Krugman
Watched the Obama presser this morning. Really struck by his commitment to find common ground among the various organizations profiting from the dysfunctional US health care system.
The underpants gnomes are laughing.
Most of us were willing, however, to accept the Rube Goldberg scheme actually passed — in which community rating, a mandate, and subsidies are combined to more or less simulate the effects of single-payer — as much better than nothing. If political reality dictated that health care be directed through private insurance companies, even though this made no sense in policy terms, well, that was a price we were willing to pay.
But it’s quite something else to take people who are currently being covered by a rational single-payer system, and force them back into the inefficient, parasitic world of private insurance. That’s terrible. And it’s also politically stupid: if you think for a minute that Republicans wouldn’t turn right around and run ads about how Obama is taking away your Medicare, you’ve been living under a rock.
Oh, and of course, Republicans were also trying to undermine health reform; so seniors would find themselves thrown off Medicare but, in many cases, unable to get private insurance either.
Great work, White House.
Watched the Obama presser this morning. Really struck by his commitment to find common ground among the various organizations profiting from the dysfunctional US health care system.
The underpants gnomes are laughing.
Horrible
I wasn't paying too much attention yesterday due to the somewhat unreliable nature of news reports during breaking news events (not really criticism, just observation), but just awful.
OSLO — The Norwegian police on Saturday charged a 32-year-old man, whom they identified as a Christian fundamentalist with right-wing connections, over the bombing of a government center here and a shooting attack on a nearby island that together left at least 91 people dead.
Bums
Looking forward to 2012, with Romney in the White House, and the House and Senate with Democratic majorities. (Being a Republican Senate incumbent in 2012 doesn't look like much fun at the moment.)
Poblano.
Voters have been throwing them out since 2006. It's really all they can do. Hasn't worked yet.
Poblano.
Voters have been throwing them out since 2006. It's really all they can do. Hasn't worked yet.
Something New
Hooray for Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd!
... the first same-sex couple to wed in New York State. The grandmothers of 12 will tie the knot before a crowd of thousands, in front of the specially rainbow lit Niagara Falls.
Friday, July 22, 2011
They Hate Us For Our Peace Seeking Ways
Lord Saletan on the twitter machine.
(ht dave weigel)
Oslo Peace Process. Nobel Peace Prize. Today's attacks show how little terrorists respect countries that pursue peace.
(ht dave weigel)
There Is No Crisis
Just a reminder that there is no debt ceiling crisis. There's a fake crisis started by Republicans and then embraced by the White House so that everyone gets to use the fake crisis to try to do unpopular things in such a way that nobody, in theory, actually gets the blame.
A few people need to show up in Congress in the middle of the night, cast a voice vote, and we can move on to the next fake crisis.
A few people need to show up in Congress in the middle of the night, cast a voice vote, and we can move on to the next fake crisis.
How Are Weak US States Supposed To Experience Growth?
You could tell a pretty similar story about us. Our central bankers are setting policies that wealthy elites want. Michigan doesn't have any money improve its infrastructure or spend more on education. We have even greater labor mobility than Europe, at least in theory, so there will be outflows from high unemployment places to low unemployment places. This might make the unemployment numbers better in those states, but won't do much for state finances. With cutting all the rage in DC, odds are some of our much vaunted automatic stabilizers, such as federal Medicaid dollars, are going to shrink.
There's no plan for growth here either.
There's no plan for growth here either.
Running Water, Too
Had some movers bring a few things from the suburbs this morning. Nice guys. One commented something along the lines of "your house is nice, you don't expect a place like this in the city."
Bookstores
I'm another who never understood most of the hate directed at Borders. I never lived in a world where there were dozens of awesome independent bookstores. I lived in a world where there were a few crappy independent bookstores, but mostly there were really crappy chain mall bookstores. Borders, and to a lesser extent Barnes and Noble, replaced crappy chain bookstores with pretty damn good chain bookstores.
This Week’s Trends: Rebecca/Rebekah, movie trailers, and the Marine Corps ball
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:
Here, PFC Hart asks Miley Cyrus to be his guest for the ball:
Olivia Ma, YouTube News Manager, recently watched "Wendy Deng Murdoch Smacks Pie-Throwing Protester."
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
- We savoured both Rebecca Black’s new video and the Rebekah Brooks’ “Friday” parody
- We highlighted hits from four corners of the globe
- We searched for eyewitness footage from the dramatic stage collapse incident during the Cheap Trick Show in Ottawa
- We watched the “Dark Knight Rises” trailer, along with other summer blockbuster teasers
- We saw the latest round of celebrity date video invitations to the Marine Corps ball
Here, PFC Hart asks Miley Cyrus to be his guest for the ball:
Olivia Ma, YouTube News Manager, recently watched "Wendy Deng Murdoch Smacks Pie-Throwing Protester."
Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends
Insanity
I know nobody listens to me, but unemployment is at 9.2%. It wasn't that long ago that the mere projection of future 9.0% unemployment prompted the passage of a major stimulus package.
And now...nothing.
And now...nothing.
Historic
One can't know for sure what is theater and what is speculation and what is just bullshit, but this really is frightening.
I have not seen any proposal which would any way be "historic." Some would be horrible, some less horrible. All could be changed by a vote of the next Congress, or by the next vote of this Congress. No plans for 5 years from now can be expected to stick that long. Voters don't give a shit about the deficit.
The White House, by contrast, is pushing hard for a compromise. And Democrats are worried that in his zeal to accomplish something historic, Obama will agree to a debt plan that omits, or complicates, a key Democratic demand: new, concrete sources of tax revenue.
I have not seen any proposal which would any way be "historic." Some would be horrible, some less horrible. All could be changed by a vote of the next Congress, or by the next vote of this Congress. No plans for 5 years from now can be expected to stick that long. Voters don't give a shit about the deficit.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Maastricht
Too late to have deep thoughts, but, yes, Maastricht made some sense at the time of European integration, at a time when there was more generous re-distribution of funds across euro-land as part of the grand plan (whether good or bad) to bring everyone together, but in the middle of a major economic downturn...
Problem Should Have An Easy Solution
Not quite sure I get what's going on here.
The city used to be better about hauling away large items. They'd basically take anything if you called them and put it out. They've limited that somewhat now, but they'll still take things like sofas if they're by the curb.
ALLEY SPAT: Neighbors on Daggett Street near Dicks Avenue are confronted with a pile of discarded couches on the street and a festering pile of garbage in an alley behind their homes.
A whopping 21 calls to the city's 3-1-1 help line have left Bullock essentially in the same place she was in nine months ago, when the trash heap appeared behind the house at 2625 Daggett - adjacent to Bullock's.
Bullock said the 3-1-1 representative she spoke with about the trash was rude, and basically told her to mind her own business.
"She said, 'If it's not on your property, you shouldn't worry about it,' " Bullock said.
Right. The mice and roaches that Jones and Bullock have seen scurrying around the trash heap are enough to worry anyone.
Adding insult to injury, a few dirty, discarded couches popped up on a small yard at 2635 Daggett four months ago, they said.
The city used to be better about hauling away large items. They'd basically take anything if you called them and put it out. They've limited that somewhat now, but they'll still take things like sofas if they're by the curb.
Gentrification Leading To More Demand
I don't think it's quite this simple.
I think it is the case that more people moving into neighborhoods, especially relatively blighted ones, can lead to further price increases. The mechanism is fairly simple. More people equals more demand for local goods and services, which means greater variety of availability of local goods and services, which makes a neighborhood even more attractive, further boosting demand for housing units in that neighborhood.
As for the initial trigger of more people moving in, that could be increases in housing prices elsewhere, a change in consumer preference for type of housing, a reduction in the local crime rate, etc. The point is that more people can lead to a better neighborhood which can lead to more demand and higher prices. It isn't necessarily incorrect to perceive new development as the cause of higher prices.
When I speak to people in the city (which in fact does happen, since I do live here, reporting aside), they often see the fact that new development occurs in the same places at times when housing costs are spiking. Consequently, they often reach the conclusion that new development is causing price increases and that the best way to moderate price increases is to moderate the pace of new development. These charts indicate, I think, that this is a mistake. That both new construction and higher prices are caused by higher demand for housing, and that DC is experiencing an above-average rate of housing cost increases because we’re experiencing a below-average rate of issuing permits for new construction.
I think it is the case that more people moving into neighborhoods, especially relatively blighted ones, can lead to further price increases. The mechanism is fairly simple. More people equals more demand for local goods and services, which means greater variety of availability of local goods and services, which makes a neighborhood even more attractive, further boosting demand for housing units in that neighborhood.
As for the initial trigger of more people moving in, that could be increases in housing prices elsewhere, a change in consumer preference for type of housing, a reduction in the local crime rate, etc. The point is that more people can lead to a better neighborhood which can lead to more demand and higher prices. It isn't necessarily incorrect to perceive new development as the cause of higher prices.
11-Dimensional End Game
There you go.
You know what we have without the deal? The possibility of future revenue increases.
A Congressional aide briefed on ongoing negotiations between House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama says the two principals may be nearing a "grand bargain" on to raise the debt limit which would contain large, set-in-stone spending cuts but only the possibility of future revenue increases.
"All cuts," the aide said. "Maybe revenues some time in the future."
You know what we have without the deal? The possibility of future revenue increases.
The Establishment
Just a reminder that before conservatives began their decades long strategy of working the refs and accusing everybody working in "the liberal media" of having "liberal bias," what people call mainstream media today was commonly referred to as "establishment media."
No Drama Obama
The rather obvious solution is a clean debt ceiling hike, but none of the people involved in this ridiculous mess seem to want that.
Using crisis as an excuse to ram through massive "bipartisan" changes without public input is horribly undemocratic.
Shame on all of them.
Using crisis as an excuse to ram through massive "bipartisan" changes without public input is horribly undemocratic.
Shame on all of them.
Beyond Bounce Flash: Using Your Ceiling as a Light Mod
When I shot for The Sun I was assigned to do lots of small product illustrations, AKA table-top shots. And when possible, I would gang them up and shoot them at home rather than in the paper's pro studio.
Shooting at home gave me a variety of locations, a houseful of props, more time with my kids and something the big studio did not have -- a plain white ceiling. The latter being one of the more useful light mods in my kit. Read more »
Quick Note: New Formats for Smartphone and RSS
If you follow Strobist via smartphone or RSS reader, keep reading to learn about a couple formatting changes that will affect you. Read more »
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hometown love for the SF Giants
Since the postseason win and ensuing celebration of the World Champion San Francisco Giants last year, we’ve seen many more shades of orange and black around the YouTube office. We’ve even seen a growth of beards inspired by “certified ninja” Brian Wilson.
So when Showtime said they’d be airing the first episode of The Franchise for a limited time on YouTube, we wanted to share our excitement with you. Check it out:
There’s a lot to love about baseball—fans, highlights and rituals—and after a 56 year wait for a trophy, we’re still celebrating!
Elizabeth Ferdon, YouTube Content Partnerships, just watched “Willie Mays on AirForce One.”
So when Showtime said they’d be airing the first episode of The Franchise for a limited time on YouTube, we wanted to share our excitement with you. Check it out:
There’s a lot to love about baseball—fans, highlights and rituals—and after a 56 year wait for a trophy, we’re still celebrating!
Elizabeth Ferdon, YouTube Content Partnerships, just watched “Willie Mays on AirForce One.”
Burn This Mother Down
I admit I'm cheering on the suicide squad. The more Dem votes you need, the more it has to be Dem-friendly.
Tickets available for Life in a Day screening in 90 U.S. cities this weekend
Life in a Day, the documentary directed by Oscar-winner Kevin MacDonald, produced by Ridley Scott and made out of thousands of YouTube clips, has been inspiring audiences from the Sundance Film Festival to the Berlin Film Festival to the Sydney Film Festival.
On July 24, one year after thousands of you submitted videos to be a part of the film, many of you across the United States will finally have a chance to see the finished project on the big screen! Check out the channel for a list of the 90 U.S. cities where the film will play this weekend, ranging from Los Angeles, CA to Louisville, KY to Providence, RI to Dallas, TX.
Critics have called the film “ingenious and warmhearted,” an “amazing compilation of videos…[that] is one for the ages” and “a spellbinding montage depicting a day in the life of the planet Earth.”
If you don’t see your town listed, don’t panic. You can still vote to bring the film to a theater near you after its theatrical release on July 29 and the folks at National Geographic will do their best to get it to you.
This is your film, and now’s your chance to see a piece of film history!
Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Lead, recently watched “Cobra vs. Mongoose.”
Hellhole In The Hellhole
Article provides an excuse to make the obvious observation that Grand Central is great and Penn Station, where the Amtrak machine drops me, is a hellish nightmare.
Also, Too, Democrats
I imagine if there are two basic narratives out there that people have about the political parties it's that Republicans want to cut your taxes and Democrats want to give money to poor and old people. The giving money to poor people part isn't super popular, but the giving money to old people one mostly is. Yes it should be a no brainer for a Florida member of Congress to support Medicare, and it should also be a no brainer for the Dems to block cuts to Social Security.
Maps Are Small, Actual Places Are Large
I have to assume some degree of expertise among military planners whose job it is to achieve some sort of goal (??) with freedom bombs, but I imagine most of our policymakers know about as much about strategic aerial warfare as I do, which is not much. I've started to think that flawed spatial perception underlies the apparent belief that a few well-placed freedom bombs will solve our latest Hitler of the week problem. Unless - and probably even if - it's just a really expensive means of assassination, the idea that some aerial bombing is really going to do whatever it is we were meant to do in Libya (does anybody know?) is really dumb. It's a big place. I suppose we could level a city if we really wanted to, but supposedly we don't, so...?
So Trite
I suppose this is an obvious point that dirty hippies make and then get laughed at, but I'd believe that all of our freedom bombs had some genuine humanitarian purpose if we actually ever spent serious money on actual humanitarian purposes.
Either Development
Probably there are some other possibilities.
Consequently, argues Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute, Maliki and his government face a fateful choice. “If Maliki allows the United States to leave Iraq,” Kagan wrote in a recent report, “he is effectively declaring his intent to fall in line with Tehran’s wishes, to subordinate Iraq’s foreign policy to the Persians, and possibly, to consolidate his own power as a sort of modern Persian satrap in Baghdad.”
Alternatively, Iraq could use its burgeoning oil revenue to rush to construct an army and air force capable of countering Tehran. But either development would be regarded as a strategic threat by Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Mysteries
The unknowable is whether they're really going to tank the economy and screw poor and old people.
We'll see!!
We'll see!!
Auto-Captions now available in Japanese
Cross Posted from the YouTube Japan Blog.
Last March we offered everyone the ability to automatically create captions on your videos, and the response has been exciting to see: auto-captions have been generated on nearly 40 million videos, and the number of manually-created caption tracks has more than tripled. We’re eager to see more videos captioned in more languages, so we just rolled out this feature to a new language — Japanese.
Now on any video with a clear Japanese speech track, a red “CC” button will appear at the bottom of the player, where you can click it to generate automatic captions from the speech. We’re also working closely with the the Japan Federation for the Deaf to improve this technology and make it more useful.
Here’s an example of how it works from our partner ANN News Channel:
And if you really want to get multilingual with YouTube videos, when these auto-captions are combined with our auto-translate feature, you’ll be able to generate subtitles into more than 50 languages.
Keeping up with our Japanese partners just got that much easier.
Brad Ellis, Product Manager, YouTube Japan, recently watched “手話あいらんど手話教室入門コース.”
Last March we offered everyone the ability to automatically create captions on your videos, and the response has been exciting to see: auto-captions have been generated on nearly 40 million videos, and the number of manually-created caption tracks has more than tripled. We’re eager to see more videos captioned in more languages, so we just rolled out this feature to a new language — Japanese.
Now on any video with a clear Japanese speech track, a red “CC” button will appear at the bottom of the player, where you can click it to generate automatic captions from the speech. We’re also working closely with the the Japan Federation for the Deaf to improve this technology and make it more useful.
Here’s an example of how it works from our partner ANN News Channel:
And if you really want to get multilingual with YouTube videos, when these auto-captions are combined with our auto-translate feature, you’ll be able to generate subtitles into more than 50 languages.
Keeping up with our Japanese partners just got that much easier.
Brad Ellis, Product Manager, YouTube Japan, recently watched “手話あいらんど手話教室入門コース.”
Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah
Could someone please run the gang of six wankers summary through the senate gibberish translation device?
"Choice Ridership"
I dream of the day when transit planners stop trying to cater to the elusive rich suburban white person rider and instead think about how to make transit better in places where people actually use it.
I'm all for more and better transit everywhere, but I'd really like a bit more focus on core users.
...ah, my apologies, I realize I interpreted this incorrectly. I think he means "choice" as in making a choice, not choice as in preferred. My basic point still stands, but I reacted wrongly to the language.
Greg Krykewycz, the DVRPC senior transportation planner who authored the study, explained that a well-branded service could attract “latent demand” from riders along the corridor who currently take cars.
Specific branding could help it escape the stigma that suburban bus routes are long and circuitous, he said, adding that “there's kind of an undetermined amount of untapped ridership” for the route and that “it's the choice ridership that you're trying to attract with service like this.”
I'm all for more and better transit everywhere, but I'd really like a bit more focus on core users.
...ah, my apologies, I realize I interpreted this incorrectly. I think he means "choice" as in making a choice, not choice as in preferred. My basic point still stands, but I reacted wrongly to the language.
I Actually Wouldn't Mind Some Enforcement
I'm not a big fan of pedestrians behaving badly, and while I think a $120 fine for just about anything a pedestrian might do is ludicrous, I wouldn't weep if there was a very modest fine ($20) that could be given for egregious jay-walking of the dangerous variety. I don't mean crossing an empty street type behavior, I mean running out in front of traffic against a light behavior.
Bachmania
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. On the Dem side, elite Villagers always work hard to cull whoever they consider to be "crazy" candidates, though aside from Ron Paul I've never really seen the same activity for Republicans.
Leftover Electronics Are Free
I was donating some stuff to a thrift store the other day. They had lots of old TVs, and by old I mean "not flat screen," on sale for under $10. That poor people have access to some gadgets and gizmos that poor people didn't have access to 50 years ago doesn't change the fact that it sucks hard to be poor.
Unless you're a sociopath at the Heritage foundation.
Unless you're a sociopath at the Heritage foundation.
Music Tuesday: Portugal. The Man and vintage global sounds
Summer music festivals are in full swing here in the States. Music fanatics gathered in Chicago this past weekend to attend the Pitchfork Music Festival, and to celebrate, we rounded up videos from some of the best acts appearing there. Last week we also took a look at parodies of Tyler, The Creator’s “Yonkers” video. The unofficial head of the Odd Future hip-hop crew is controversial, but it’s clear his aesthetic has pushed a lot of buttons—and the results are hilarious. And if you need a little mindless fun, we threw up a playlist of ‘80s Summer Party songs for your (guilty) pleasure, which leads us into this week’s heavy dose of retro music.
Portugal. The Man’s sci-fi obsession
People label the enigmatically-named Portugal. The Man an indie rock band, but take one listen and you’ll hear these guys are drawing straight from the classic rock songbook, whether it’s The Beatles, Mark Bolan or Led Zeppelin. That grounding in musical history gives a sense of warmth and even inevitability to their songs—this is sweeping music that frequently sounds bigger than its years. The band also happens to be huge film buffs, which translates into a body of videos which range from the epic to the strange, and which are always visually arresting. Today they take to the homepage to celebrate their new album In The Mountain In The Cloud and to share their two major obsessions: kung fu and sci-fi, with a heaping helping of Wu-Tang Clan thrown in for good measure.
Global Retro
A music movement is afoot. The sound is vintage psychedelic, funk and soul recordings from remote corners of the globe. The labels are Analog Africa, Soundway Records, VampiSoul...the list goes on and on. In the past few years crate-digging for undiscovered music from countries like Ghana, Nigera, and Colombia has been raised to the level of an art form—and the gems these label unearth have given music lovers a new cause for celebration. Now the labels are making videos to introduce us to the often psychedelic radness that went on in other countries while the rest of us were listening to The Beatles...or were more likely not even born.
Joe Clausell “Hammock House”
Continuing in the vintage vein: New York dance music DJ Joe Claussell was recently given unlimited access to the vaults of the classic salsa label Fania Records. Fania was home to the titans of New York salsa, from Celia Cruz to Hector Lavoe. Faced with such riches, Claussell dug deep, remixing a melange of Latin soul and salsa cuts for his new album. We’re psyched to premiere a new, extended video that features the DJ in his native habitat, playing music that still defines the city that never sleeps.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Tinariwen - TENERE TAQQIM TOSSAM.”
Portugal. The Man’s sci-fi obsession
People label the enigmatically-named Portugal. The Man an indie rock band, but take one listen and you’ll hear these guys are drawing straight from the classic rock songbook, whether it’s The Beatles, Mark Bolan or Led Zeppelin. That grounding in musical history gives a sense of warmth and even inevitability to their songs—this is sweeping music that frequently sounds bigger than its years. The band also happens to be huge film buffs, which translates into a body of videos which range from the epic to the strange, and which are always visually arresting. Today they take to the homepage to celebrate their new album In The Mountain In The Cloud and to share their two major obsessions: kung fu and sci-fi, with a heaping helping of Wu-Tang Clan thrown in for good measure.
Global Retro
A music movement is afoot. The sound is vintage psychedelic, funk and soul recordings from remote corners of the globe. The labels are Analog Africa, Soundway Records, VampiSoul...the list goes on and on. In the past few years crate-digging for undiscovered music from countries like Ghana, Nigera, and Colombia has been raised to the level of an art form—and the gems these label unearth have given music lovers a new cause for celebration. Now the labels are making videos to introduce us to the often psychedelic radness that went on in other countries while the rest of us were listening to The Beatles...or were more likely not even born.
Joe Clausell “Hammock House”
Continuing in the vintage vein: New York dance music DJ Joe Claussell was recently given unlimited access to the vaults of the classic salsa label Fania Records. Fania was home to the titans of New York salsa, from Celia Cruz to Hector Lavoe. Faced with such riches, Claussell dug deep, remixing a melange of Latin soul and salsa cuts for his new album. We’re psyched to premiere a new, extended video that features the DJ in his native habitat, playing music that still defines the city that never sleeps.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Tinariwen - TENERE TAQQIM TOSSAM.”
Thread
Nice catch from Bluegal, who found a bit of Fry & Laurie as Clarence the Angel and Rupert Murdoch in It's a Wonderful Life.
Signed,
Not Atrios
Signed,
Not Atrios
Monday, July 18, 2011
Jesus Tits Who Cares
Aside from "imminent death is likely" I really have never understood why people think random health issues matter.
BC3 Assignment #2: It's a Local Thing
Keeping with our local theme, Assignment #2 will again focus on your community. But this time the introverts will be happy, as you will not have to actually talk to any, you know … people. Read more »
Late Night
I pay attention to a lot of the various financial sites, and the degree to which our Galtian Hedge Fund Managers advocate for really fucking stupid policies - not just for me, but for them - tells me that they're really fucking stupid.
Doesn't Anybody Remember Anthrax?
Whole thing has been a crock.
Now, however, Justice Department lawyers have acknowledged in court papers that the sealed area in Ivins' lab — the so-called hot suite — didn't contain the equipment needed to turn liquid anthrax into the refined powder that floated through congressional buildings and post offices in the fall of 2001.
The government said it continued to believe that Ivins was "more likely than not" the killer. But the filing in a Florida court didn't explain where or how Ivins could have made the powder, saying only that his secure lab "did not have the specialized equipment . . . that would be required to prepare the dried spore preparations that were used in the letters."
Taking The People Out Of Politics
Leaving aside policy disagreements, and for sake of discussion assuming good intentions, I think the group being discussed are basically not fans of democracy. Voters and elections are problems, and the biggest problem for the Democratic party are actual Democrats. They'd prefer that government be run by some sort of committee headed by Robert Rubin. They dreamed of somehow ending politics, of just creating and implementing some sort of "consensus" (not of the people, but of the people who mattered) and then hitting the play button.
Is Erick Erickson Writing Their Material
My take on the WSJ defending MurdochLand was that it was just really stupid.
The Wage Is Too Damn Low
I don't think it's just a belief in the value of purging the system, I think it's a failure to understand what's going on in this economy. People don't have any jobs and they don't have any money. That's the fundamental fact that elites can't come to terms with. It's a bit similar to the way there was a tendency, early, to diagnose the financial crisis as a liquidity crisis instead of an insolvency one. All those foreclosures-in-waiting reduce liquidity in the housing market. Improve that and all will be well.
Except for the nobody has any money part.
Except for the nobody has any money part.
Chicken Becomes The Egg
I do think there were policy steps to "fix" the housing market which could have helped to spur an economic recovery. Those steps were not taken.
Or, to put it another way, there are two sets of problems with the housing market. One is that the economy sucks. Two is the bundle of issues related to the popped housing bubble (corrupt bankster practices, destruction of faith in our property title system, underwater borrowers). Fixing two to some degree might have been enough to have enough of a housing market rebound such that it would improve the economy. We didn't.
Or, to put it another way, there are two sets of problems with the housing market. One is that the economy sucks. Two is the bundle of issues related to the popped housing bubble (corrupt bankster practices, destruction of faith in our property title system, underwater borrowers). Fixing two to some degree might have been enough to have enough of a housing market rebound such that it would improve the economy. We didn't.
All Hail Latvia
Once countries implement policies that conservative assholes like, there isn't any need to go to the data anymore. They are Galtian paradises which we should emulate.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
It's Sunday, Sunday
And another week is about to begin. Don't suppose there's any chance we will shift to a Parliamentary system any time soon.
Bought
The whole country.
Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson has resigned.
Sir Paul announced his resignation at a press conference this evening in the wake of revelations that he received a £12k spa break where News of the World hacking suspect Neil Wallis was a PR consultant.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner was already under pressure after it emerged that he hired Mr Wallis as a PR consultant for the force.
Oh My
Unexpected.
LONDON — The British police on Sunday arrested Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Rupert Murdoch’s media operations in Britain, according to a former associate at News International, the newspaper group at the heart of a phone-hacking scandal convulsing the Murdoch empire, the British political elite and the police.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Which Ones
I'm a liberal who thinks that sometimes businesses do face overly burdensome regulations, though generally at the local level, but whenever pundits bloviate about getting rid of regulations, I want to know...which ones? I mean, just which federal regulation is keeping the economy from achieving True Galt?
Afternoon Thread
The widening scandal may not bring down Murdoch's entire empire. I guess I could be satisfied if Murdoch et fil were left to live out their lives on Social Security and Medicare. Heh.
Religion and Politics
Diane at Cabdrollery succinctly explains why it's a bad mix.
What her [Bachman's] church and what she herself believes is actually none of my business, but it becomes my business when she and other candidates continually shove it in my face with smug superiority. It also becomes my business when candidates make it clear that those religious beliefs will become national policy.
What her [Bachman's] church and what she herself believes is actually none of my business, but it becomes my business when she and other candidates continually shove it in my face with smug superiority. It also becomes my business when candidates make it clear that those religious beliefs will become national policy.
Friday, July 15, 2011
This week's Trends: contraptions, rainbows, and Harry P
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:
- We reviewed the most-watched Harry Potter fan-videos of all time.
- We uncovered the most-viewed Rube Goldberg machines on YouTube.
- We saw some cool and funny moments and ads from around the world.
- We asked if Grand Rapids, Michigan is becoming the U.S. capital for lip-dubs.
- We grew concerned about some pets that were now plotting and executing daring escapes.
- We celebrated the one-year anniversary of a famous Double Rainbow going viral.
- We highlighted the latest footage from demonstrations in Malaysia and Syria.
- And we saw LOTS of new Harry Potter parodies and music videos popping up. Here's one of the popular ones:
Jobs Now, Deficits Later
Would have made a lot more sense,because the jobs will help cure the deficit, in part from higher tax revenues and in part from lower spending on various programs related to unemployment.
There's a very real (and IMHO climbing) chance that unemployment will still be above 8.5% a year from now.
oy. happy to be wrong.
There's a very real (and IMHO climbing) chance that unemployment will still be above 8.5% a year from now.
oy. happy to be wrong.
And They Don't Care About Spending
All Republicans care about is tax cuts for rich people. Cut deficits without implementing a more liberal agenda just means Republicans will cut taxes as soon as they get a chance.
Hopefully He's Smarter Than Me
Because I just don't believe there's any way to take the "deficit" off the table. I put "deficit" in quotes because nobody actually cares about them and we only talk about them when Democrats are president. The point is you don't win political fights for all eternity. I'll be quite happy if something that doesn't involve destroying the link between Dems and defense of Social Security/Medicare makes Obama feel like he can start selling a more liberal agenda, but really don't know why he or anyone else thinks you can get Republicans to stop screeching about spending etc.
Depressing
Ultimately outcomes matter more than theater, and we're not at the final outcome point yet, but the rhetoric Obama uses is truly depressing.
And How Did That Happen?
There's a complete mystery regarding just who is responsible for this particular state of affairs.
Yes, we'd better just clean it up and let the banksters own whatever they say they own.
Jamie Dimon said yesterday that "there have been so many flaws in mortgages that it’s been an unmitigated disaster" and the system is in serious need of an overhaul.
"We just really need to clean it up for the sake of everybody," he said on a conference call, acc cording to Bloomberg, "and everybody is going to sue everybody else, and it’s going to go on for a long time."
Yes, we'd better just clean it up and let the banksters own whatever they say they own.
Save The Banksters, Save The World
If instead of all that free money for banks, we'd given free money to people on the condition they give it to the banks (paying down debts), we could have gotten through this mess.
But bad poor people don't deserve money, only rich banksters who tried to destroy the world.
But bad poor people don't deserve money, only rich banksters who tried to destroy the world.
As I Asked
How many rental units are available in your neighborhood?
City Avenue differs from the typical highway strip in that it has many qualities we associate with urban places, including distinctive and relatively dense neighborhoods on both sides. There may be fewer pedestrians on the suburban edge of City Avenue - where multistory apartment houses are currently prohibited - but a culture of walking and commuting definitely exists. About 25,000 people work in the area between the expressway and East Wynnewood Road, and probably 40,000 more live within a 10-minute stroll.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Liberal Fascism
Was glancing through my copy of Liberal Fascism, which sadly no longer seems to be available, and was looking at the keyboard kommando episode where crazy liberals, represented by The Shining Jack Nicholson, and other nuts like Paul Krugman, say things like "torture is bad" while they're mocked as lunatics by the likes of Little Debbie and Dean Broder.
Now we get to say insane things like, "contractionary policy is not expansionary."
Now we get to say insane things like, "contractionary policy is not expansionary."
Internalized
Good news and bad news edition.
Fewer foreclosures not good news
LOS ANGELES - The number of homes taken back by lenders in the first half of this year fell 30 percent compared with the same 2010 period, the result of delays in foreclosure processing that threaten to stall a U.S. housing recovery.
How Many Rental Units Does Your Neighborhood Have?
These types of posts usually inspire a couple of "gentrification is evil" comments. I find concerns about gentrification to both be overblown and really weird among the liberal blog commentariat. But flipping the issue around for a second, there are a lot of reasons we associate cities with poor people in contemporary America, why to a great degree the poor have been concentrated in cities. One of which is the fact that they've been zoned out of the suburbs, with large lot zoning and severe limits on rental housing leaving few realistic housing options for lower income people outside of the city limits (it's a big country, not everything is precisely the same everywhere I know).
A big reason neighborhoods are "bad" in cities isn't simply because poor people live there and the social pathologies which tend to be attached to poverty therefore thrive, it's that they've experienced a significant amount of population decline. Housing stock deteriorates. Empty lots proliferate. Neighborhood businesses can no longer be supported by the resident population. Gentrification often isn't about rich people in, it's about people moving in period. And, yes, that can eventually start driving up rents and property values as the act of people moving in begins to improve a neighborhood. Existing owners may decide to cash out, and existing renters may be driven out. So, yes, there might be victims of gentrification in that sense. But if you're genuinely concerned about housing options for poor people you should be concerned about the fact that most places effectively don't let them live there, not that some students and hipsters begin reversing the depopulation trend that hit a lot of urban areas.
A big reason neighborhoods are "bad" in cities isn't simply because poor people live there and the social pathologies which tend to be attached to poverty therefore thrive, it's that they've experienced a significant amount of population decline. Housing stock deteriorates. Empty lots proliferate. Neighborhood businesses can no longer be supported by the resident population. Gentrification often isn't about rich people in, it's about people moving in period. And, yes, that can eventually start driving up rents and property values as the act of people moving in begins to improve a neighborhood. Existing owners may decide to cash out, and existing renters may be driven out. So, yes, there might be victims of gentrification in that sense. But if you're genuinely concerned about housing options for poor people you should be concerned about the fact that most places effectively don't let them live there, not that some students and hipsters begin reversing the depopulation trend that hit a lot of urban areas.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
Forgot about that this morning. 405K new lucky duckies.
Still not good news.
Still not good news.
July’s On The Rise nominees: educators and artists
Each month, we identify four YouTube Partners who are growing their subscribers but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 mark for our On The Rise program. You vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog, and the winner will be featured on the YouTube homepage and the videos channel.
For July, we're bringing you two partners who combine education with entertainment, and two performance artists we think you’ll enjoy. Check out the nominees’ videos below, and then cast your vote by July 21 at 6pm PT. We’ll announce the winner on July 28.
HowToLiz
In 2010, Liz decided she would learn 52 things in 52 weeks, documenting her progress in weekly videos. She’s scaled back to learning 26 things in 2011, and her educational and entertaining videos include how to be nice, job interviews and Rubik’s cubes.
destinws2
Destin is from Alabama and is a rocket tester by trade, and he’s transformed his passion for the scientific method into his YouTube channel. Under the series title “Smarter Every Day,” Destin educates his viewers with Mythbusters-esque investigations into scientific phenomena.
VSOHOTT
Musician VSOHOTT has worked with major labels and even American Idol winners. This Michigander writes, produces, and engineers his own music; his first album is currently in production; and he recently started a reality web series.
jeremiahjw
“All kinds of awesomeness” is how Jeremiah Warren describes his channel, where he combines his skills as a filmmaker and videographer for a broad mix of content. Looking for traditional films, animation, documentaries and special effects? You’ll find it here.
Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “2D Photography Rube Goldberg.”
For July, we're bringing you two partners who combine education with entertainment, and two performance artists we think you’ll enjoy. Check out the nominees’ videos below, and then cast your vote by July 21 at 6pm PT. We’ll announce the winner on July 28.
HowToLiz
In 2010, Liz decided she would learn 52 things in 52 weeks, documenting her progress in weekly videos. She’s scaled back to learning 26 things in 2011, and her educational and entertaining videos include how to be nice, job interviews and Rubik’s cubes.
destinws2
Destin is from Alabama and is a rocket tester by trade, and he’s transformed his passion for the scientific method into his YouTube channel. Under the series title “Smarter Every Day,” Destin educates his viewers with Mythbusters-esque investigations into scientific phenomena.
VSOHOTT
Musician VSOHOTT has worked with major labels and even American Idol winners. This Michigander writes, produces, and engineers his own music; his first album is currently in production; and he recently started a reality web series.
jeremiahjw
“All kinds of awesomeness” is how Jeremiah Warren describes his channel, where he combines his skills as a filmmaker and videographer for a broad mix of content. Looking for traditional films, animation, documentaries and special effects? You’ll find it here.
On The Rise is all about giving a kickstart to the next generation of Partners who will go on to do big things on YouTube, and helping you discover new talent. Past winners like emilynoel83, joshsundquist, and CuteGirlsHairstyles have seen lots of new viewers thanks to your support. If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.
Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “2D Photography Rube Goldberg.”
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