Ingenious
Posted 08.25.10 at 09:03 PM UTC
Tagged nonsense, media | # | Comment [0]

I'm going to go ahead and create some prior art, claiming molybdenum for myself, so when American Express gets around to making a plastic tribute to that fine metal, they know where to send the check.

Wikipedia notes it is often used in high-pressure industrial applications, so maybe they can make a special card for air traffic controllers or postmen or something. Or Molly Ringwald can endorse it.

Mood: Sardonic

Taking Advice
Posted 07.19.10 at 09:41 PM UTC
Tagged media, nonsense | # | Comment [1]

I am officially halting my interest in internet user commentary, cross-referencing this little gem. With the exception of actually useful opinion (such as that on the programming reddit at times), it's frankly not worth the trouble.

As I believe I've said here before, only a very small subset of people I know have any influence on my opinions, so why should I be seeking out the opinions of strangers?

Ads Absurdum
Posted 10.26.09 at 09:05 PM UTC
Tagged misdirected_anger, media | # | Comment [2]

What's with those online ads where the Spanish-speaking girl says "Hola" and the frat guy says "Hello," and then there is a Tower of Babel moment, then we are offered a method of translating the other side of the conversation? Does this solve the core problem here?

It's like the corporate world: "Our people don't version their files!"

"Livelink!"

In the tradition of Cory Doctorow, now you have two problems.

Well, you really have one problem, but you're being redirected to the second, and please click the link if you are not redirected within 10 seconds. Oops, you don't have permission to access the second problem.

Please contact the administrator.

Music: Gin Bossoms - Until I Fall Away

What Happened?
Posted 10.02.09 at 09:04 PM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [0]

This Twilight thing (vamp alert on the link) is just completely out of control.

Seems like this thing has more fan content bolt-ons than Star Trek all of a sudden.

Is this ingenious stealth marketing, or have people really drunk the Kool-Aid on this one?

Thanks For That
Posted 10.02.09 at 08:46 PM UTC
Tagged nonsense, media, news | # | Comment [0]

Bloomberg, not exactly the "This Week in WCW" type of news source, toward the bottom of this story really helps us out by explaining a very obvious Alice in Wonderland reference.

Poor David Rosenberg actually used Alice in Wonderland in his quote, and they explained about the rabbit hole. It might be remotely possible that a lowbrow news source might need to explain a reference to a rabbit hole as invoking Alice in Wonderland, but the other way around, guys? I mean, there's a Disney movie and it's in Kingdom Hearts, for goodness sakes.

Funny, because on my way home from work today I heard Immortal Technique's deft one-liner:

My metaphors are dirty like herpes but harder to catch.

Which makes me think of my actual favorite rap one-liner, by our now disgraced friend Kanye:

Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips.

Explanation at that level is kind of like putting a Scotsman on American television with subtitles. I mean, if you couldn't get it, maybe at some point you aren't meant to get it.

But, seriously, Kanye dissing Taylor Swift was pretty harsh.

The above paragraph was getting ready to vent my frustration with Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse (yeah, I deleted it because it was a bit of a non-sequitur as it was), but then I was checking Wikipedia to make sure Norah was spelled with an "H" at the end, only to find out that (1) her real first name is Geethali, and (2) she is the love child of Ravi Shankar.

As in the guy who played with the Beatles. No wonder she won so many Grammys without being popular or particularly talented. Ah, I got my dig in anyway! I don't care how sophisticated listening to her might make me, that music is just depressing!

It seems like football coaches get the same "child of a legend" help. You have a lot of serious football geniuses who sit in the glass booth their whole career, and then all of a sudden Legend Junior is out there with a clipboard and a headset. Must be frustrating.

Music: Stephen Speaks - Complete

Mood: Blissfully Unoccupied

That's Why... I Say... Phuket
Posted 07.23.09 at 11:29 AM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [0]

Nice to see we're keeping it highbrow with our North Korean buddies. It's amazing to read about these major-dangerous nations working through problems with name-calling.

Memories
Posted 07.10.09 at 05:10 AM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [0]

I may not remember those years too well, but this really reminds me of Clinton:

A White House spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said: "The administration is continuing to work with the Senate to pass comprehensive energy legislation and believes it's on track." He declined to discuss timetables.

Why would you need to speak anonymously if you're saying that?

Underestimated?
Posted 07.07.09 at 07:45 AM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [2]

I have a lot of trouble seeing the sense in saying the government underestimated the magnitude of the crisis when passing the stimulus. I remember a lot of hellfire and brimstone in the rhetoric around the bill. And the recent market rally says investors (many of whom opposed the bailout) have been surprised at the economy's medium-term prospects. Of course, this could be on its way toward reversing itself.

I increasingly feel like every corner of our government spends more time trying to cover its butt than actually doing anything. And, sorry to say, when Reuters starts quoting your "uh"s one has to wonder if your oratorical and diplomatic skill is limited to script reading.

Focus Your Panic in a Constructive Manner
Posted 04.30.09 at 02:30 AM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [0]

The grand oracle rama rama CNN says:

Common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year worldwide, far more than the current outbreak of swine flu. But there is a vaccine for seasonal flu.

"Keep Norman... Awesome"
Posted 04.14.09 at 03:05 AM UTC
Tagged media | # | Comment [0]

Oh Yeah!