The Great Epicurean

Andre

2009-06-12T16:03:00.003-04:00

Artist. Produces the Belvedere Ad Campaigns.

Parisian Kicks are Cooler than Yours (If you have $650-$900 to spare)

2009-06-12T15:55:00.002-04:00

Long story short.

Some french brands have been making waves with their sneakers lately. Notably, Maison Margiela, Lanvin and MiuMiu (the Old Navy of Prada). Fine grain premium leather, undeniable aesthetic and expensive enough that you don't need to explain why they are cool. Plus, they are so simple and refined that whether you're laced up with some jeans, shorts, or a suit - they make you that much more of a man.

You can purchase all of these here

test

2009-06-10T11:37:00.003-04:00

A 10-year-old girl was arrested and charged for fighting in a Texas park with her 13-year-old sister.

The older sister said the fight broke out after her sister refused to follow her instructions.

"She pushed me, so I just walked away from it," the 13-year-old told KDFW-TV in Dallas. "The third time she pushed me, we just started fighting."

Someone witnessed the fight at a Flower Mound park and contacted police.

So the girls, who were visiting family in Flower Mound with their mother, returned to the family home with a police officer in tow.

"'This is criminal, and one of them is going to have to go to jail and it's probably going to have to be your younger one because she was the aggressor,'" their mother quoted the officer as saying. "And I said, 'Are you kidding me?' and he said, 'No, no.'"

Lt. Clay Pierce of the Flower Mound Police said it was being treated as a case of family violence and the girl was charged with Class A misdemeanor assault.

"By state law we are required to take action and what we did, we detained the youngest one," he said.

"Both of them had some injuries. The one showed more serious injuries, so the other one was detained."

The case has been turned over to the Denton County district attorney for further review.

EDITING THIS BITCH.. CHILLL

2009-06-10T11:35:00.001-04:00

Kid Cudi: Heaven at Nite w lyrics cause you must

2009-06-08T10:53:00.001-04:00

Kid Cudi - Heaven At Nite [New]
by Yannicklord

Have you ever been to heaven at nite (heaven at nite)
Have you ever been to heaven at nite
Heaven at nite

Have you ever been to heaven at night
Closing your eyes the feeling so right
At first you might see this one bright beam of light
Crutching your soul?
Happy unites and feelings take flight
Blinds of the evils you give them no sight
Focus on floatin, your focus is tight
Like you be road ass you safe for a class
To pass in the night
Haave you ever seen the ending so nice
You feel so free like your high as a kite
Like how you feel if you drink some bud light
Followed by Jag
Models we smile then tilt our heads back
These are a few of the visions I like
Mixed in with light, these are my favorites to dream in the night
This is my heaven at nite

Have you, ever been to heaven at nite (heaven at night)
Heaven at nite (heaven at nite)
Oh have you
Ever been to heaven at nite (heaven at nite)
Heaven at nite (heaven at nite)

Man
Oh, I need what the world can't give me (cant give me)
Can't give me
Man
Oh, I see what the world can't show me (cant show me)
Can't show me
God
Oh, I like what the world can't give me (cant give me)
Can't give me
God
Oh, I sing but the world can't hear me (cant hear me)
Can't hear me

Heaven at nite
Heaven at nite

Have you ever been to heaven at nite (heaven at nite)
Heaven at nite
Oh, have you ever been to heaven at nite
Heaven at nite

COUNT AND SINDEN: BEEPER (A-TRACK REMIX)

2009-06-04T17:28:00.001-04:00

EWWWWY: BROOKLYN WE GO HARD REMIX FT. SANTOGOLD, FOXY BROWN, LIL WAYNE, WAYNE WONDER

2009-06-04T17:25:00.003-04:00

PARANOID MUSIC VIDEO FEAT. RIHANNA

2009-06-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

KANYE WEST "PARANOID" feat: RIHANNA Dir: NABIL from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

INTRODUCING LITTLE BOOTS - NEW IN TOWN

2009-06-04T16:44:00.001-04:00

Little Boots - New In Town

TOY STORY 3... i'm counting down the days

2009-06-04T12:57:00.001-04:00

Following Through On His Promises... BAMA

2009-06-04T12:51:00.003-04:00

Bin Laden's Obama criticism a sign he is worried
"A day before President Barack Obama is to deliver a speech here seeking goodwill with the Islamic world, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden tried in a new message Wednesday to convince Muslims they should hate him.
The message was the second from al-Qaida in as many days criticizing Obama. Analysts said the PR offensive shows the terrorist organization worries the new president will succeed in improving America's image in the Muslim world and undermine the group's anti-American jihad, or holy war.
"Obama's election is just about the worst thing that could have happened to these guys," said Tom Sanderson, a terrorism expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "They knew right away that his election undermined a key part of their argument that the U.S. was anti-Islamic, that the U.S. was racist.""

-excerpt of recent article by Sebastian Abbot. A service of Cairo's AP.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

OBAMA/SUPERMAN

2009-06-04T12:23:00.004-04:00

Reaction After Obama Addresses Muslims

CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama sought a "new beginning" between the United States and Muslims in a speech on Thursday but offered no new initiative to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, an omission likely to disappoint many.

Below are reactions to his speech delivered from Cairo University in Egypt:

NABIL ABU RDAINAH, SPOKESMAN FOR PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT

"His call for stopping settlement and for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and his reference to the suffering of Palestinians ... is a clear message to Israel that a just peace is built on the foundations of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

"President Obama's speech is a good start and an important step towards a new American policy."

ALI AL-DABBAGH, IRAQI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

"The speech was historic and important and reflects a positive direction for the new administration (in Washington) and it is a new start."

"The use of Koranic sayings plays a big part in a positive change of picture, but there is a necessity for action."

"The government of Iraq is comfortable with the clarity of the president in respecting commitments to Iraq and the timetable for withdrawal stipulated in the security pact."

"I think there is clear support of a right for a Palestinian state, and their right for a life, but Arabs are waiting for pressure to be exerted on Israel so it can stop its violations in Gaza and the West Bank."

HAZIM AL-NUAIMI, ANALYST AT BAGHDAD UNIVERSITY

"He gave nothing new to Iraqis. He gave one promise, to respect the rights of minorites and work with consensus. In all he says, he tries to remove himself from all that happened in Iraq."

ISSANDR EL-AMRANI, INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ANALYST IN EGYPT

"I can't say I am overwhelmingly impressed by the speech. The strongest point was probably that the situation of the Palestinians is intolerable. I would have liked to see a more specific addressing of the question of Gaza, and the ongoing blockade of Gaza, the lack of availability of reconstruction materials."

"I think it will achieve its goal of generating some goodwill. I think whether among Egyptians or elsewhere there was a lot of scepticism about the speech, scepticism that contained also a nugget of optimism."

RANDA ACHMAWI, DIPLOMATIC EDITOR FOR EGYPT'S AL-AHRAM HEBDO

"America for the first time is adopting a very wise strategy in acknowledging the other and that was clear in every word chosen by President Obama."

"In this context, where we see an Israeli government who is refusing even the least principles of the two-state solution, he made clear the American vision ... There is nothing innovative."

Copyright © 2008 Reuters (article here)

R.I.P. DAVID CARRADINE (OR BILL)

2009-06-04T12:12:00.003-04:00

U.S. actor David Carradine, best known for his roles in the 1970s TV series 'Kung Fu' and the Kill Bill movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital Bangkok.

Among speculation, a leaked video may identify culprit:

Lily Allen

2009-06-04T12:00:00.004-04:00

One of the most adorable featured artists on Common's Finding Forever, Lily Allen, isn't shy. The girl has talent, anyway you wanna look at it. Here are a few of them:

Common - New Music - More Music Videos

MARK RONSON, LILY ALLEN OH MY GOD ! HI Quality
by gladyoucame

Lily.Allen.-.Smile
by absolut_25

LILLY LOOKING GOOD...
OH, AND HERES LILLY AT HER BEST...

THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

2009-06-04T11:33:00.005-04:00

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory. My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.

I think I know what’s going on. For more than a decade now, I’ve been spending a lot of time online, searching and surfing and sometimes adding to the great databases of the Internet. The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes. A few Google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks, and I’ve got the telltale fact or pithy quote I was after. Even when I’m not working, I’m as likely as not to be foraging in the Web’s info-thickets’reading and writing e-mails, scanning headlines and blog posts, watching videos and listening to podcasts, or just tripping from link to link to link. (Unlike footnotes, to which they’re sometimes likened, hyperlinks don’t merely point to related works; they propel you toward them.)

-Excerpt from recent Nicholas Carr article conerning his latest book, The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google, that was published earlier this year.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE, PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTIC, HERE

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR CAFFEINE?

2009-06-04T11:25:00.004-04:00

10 Reasons Why Tea is Better Than Coffee

Thinking of switching from coffee to tea? Here’s a list of advantages you may not have thought about before that may help you decide!
- Economic: Tea and coffee both vary in price depending on your source, but many teas (whites, greens and oolongs, and some pu’ers) can be resteeped multiple times using the same leaves, thereby costing less per cup overall than coffee. The spent-leaves can also be used as an excellent mulch/fertilizer for your flower/vegetable garden (though to be fair - so can coffee!)
- Simplicity: To get the best possible flavor out of coffee you must grind your own beans (grinder: $20+) just before brewing and use a coffee machine ($20+) with single-use filters ($5+, recurring). Tea leaves require no preparation, wasteful filters or expensive gizmos in order to extract the best possible flavor - simply drop them in hot water, strain and pour.
- Environmental: Coffee filters can be used only once and are then thrown away. None are needed for tea. Tea companies are also, on the whole, much more involved with eco-friendly, fair-trade and organic projects and processes. The coffee-roasting process also emits particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, organic acids and many gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere. Many types of tea processing involve little more than human labor and sun- or wind-wilting. Baking processes used to complete the drying cycle can emit greenhouse gasses but do so to a far lesser degree than coffee processing, due to the lower temperatures and length of time used in tea processing. Finally, tea weighs much less than coffee, requiring less fossil fuel (on a cup-to-cup basis) to ship and export it around the world.
- Variety: While coffee can be made from multiple types of beans, tea is generally derived only from a single plant. That said, the various methods of preparing and oxidizing tea results in a much wider variety of tastes than you’ll find between different blends of coffee.
- Cultural: Almost every culture in the world has a tea tradition of one sort or another, and these traditions are often central to the act of meeting and greeting friends and newcomers. Having an appreciation of tea and tea rituals can often get you past many language or cultural barriers when traveling overseas. After water, tea is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world. (Take that, coffee!)
- Historical: Tea has been widely used since around 2700 B.C.. Coffee, in its present form, has probably only been used since around 800 A.D.. Four thousand years of tea-drinking has to account for something.
- Cosmetic: Most teas (greens, whites and many oolongs) won’t stain your teeth - black tea will still cause stains, but to a lesser degree than coffee. Some teas have antioxidants and natural fluorides that protect your teeth from cavities - the tannins in black teas hav a bactericide effect that will kill many of the bacteria that can cause cavities (and bad breath!).
- Dietetic: Many coffee-drinkers can’t stand the taste on its own, and must add milk, cream, and/or sugar in order to make it palatable. Tea on the other hand is much less harsh/bitter on its own, and is widely enjoyed without additives of any kind. Tea may also help boost metabolism, which can help dieters lose weight faster.
- Novelty: Tea consumption is on the rise in America, but in many places it is still considered a relative “novelty” (at least outside of iced tea and the usual “Lipton” mass-market offerings). Be the first on your block to introduce your friends and family to the wonderfully wide and varied world of tea!
- Health: Coffee has been linked to a handful of health benefits, but it can also lead to hypertension, caffeine-related problems and heart disease. Tea has dozens of proven and widely-suggested health benefits. The following is just a sampling:
- Tea has much less caffeine than coffee - between 25-50% as much.
- Tea contains tannins and catechins which have been associated with cancer and heart disease prevention
- Tea has been shown to act as a stress-reliever.
- Tea contains the polyphenol quercetin, which may interrupt the oxidation of LDL or “bad cholesterol”. It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, suppress aging, prevent food poisoning and skin disease and act as an anti-viral. Quercetin can also act as a natural COX-2 inhibitor, providing pain-relief similar to pharmeceutical versions like Vioxx and Celebrex.
- Tea decreases triglycerides and free fatty acids in your bloodstream, while coffee contains cafestol, a fat-like chemical that actually can increase your cholesterol levels.
- Tea contains EGCG and theaflavins which can suppress the enzymes required for cancer-cell growth, thereby slowing the progression of some cancers. (Some research suggests that the antioxidants in tea may neutralize this effect, however).
- Tea is a digestive aid, it flushes the digestive system.
- Unlike coffee, tea has almost no carbohydrates, fats or proteins.
- Tea contains L-theanine, which has been shown to boost mental alertness and help the body’s immune system.
- Oxalates found in tea can bind with free iron in the bloodstream, which can help the body fight HIV.
- Polyphenols in green tea can reduce intestinal inflammation related to IBD.
- Tea can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s
- Tea may also be a significant factor in strengthening bones against oseoporosis
- Tea lowers your blood pressure
- Tea can help prevent kidney stones
- Some anti-venom serums have actually been extracted from black tea!

by Stephen at Teaviews.com (here)

French Open: Gael Monfils IS AN ANIMAL

2009-06-03T11:04:00.001-04:00

Pointer Footwear - London's New Groove

2009-06-02T18:51:00.003-04:00

Let's call a spade...a spade. Boat shoes and street culture kicks are making a comeback and it's not being brought on by skaters and yacht aficionados. Rather, niche brands that coin themselves 'athleisure' (athletic inspired leisure shoes) are on the come up.

Pointer Footwear has been on the frontier and luckily their kicks aren't made for function. Founded in 2004, Pointer is about making quality, functional, casual shoes and their selling points don't involve the words - limited, exclusive or hype.

You can grip em' or just peruse here.

Richard Dreyfuss isn't just schooling sharks...

2009-06-02T14:48:00.003-04:00

Dreyfuss Promotes A Return To Civility, Civics

NORFOLK, Va. - Of all the causes actors have chosen to champion, Richard Dreyfuss admits his passion lacks, well, a certain pizazz: Civics.

"Don't call it 'civics' because 'civics' is easily the most boring word in America," Dreyfuss says. "Call it what it is: political power."

Dreyfuss brings an actor's dramatic pacing and a historian's licks to his cause, erasing any notion that this lesson will be boring. He's bombastic, predictably brash and yet professorial during a 90-minute interview in a bland hotel suite in this seaport, where he was honored at a film festival earlier this year.

Kicked out of college for confronting a professor who criticized Marlon Brando's performance in "Julius Caesar," Dreyfuss recently studied at St. Antony's College at the University of Oxford to develop a curriculum for U.S. public schools.

Called The Dreyfuss Initiative, the curriculum would use scholarly presentations in videos and the Oscar-winning actor "as a storyteller, to engage, enlighten and empower students of all ages in an entertaining way," according to an outline. Dreyfuss said he would work with civic and educational groups to promote the teaching tools.

While the program has not been used in any classroom yet, Dreyfuss has launched a fundraising campaign to produce videos and the curriculum.

"I've got a very simple thing here," Dreyfuss said. "I've got a nonprofit initiative to get K-12 grades back to civics, to give our children real-world knowledge and hopefully wisdom about how to run this complex governance system. That's it. That's enough."

These days, Dreyfuss devotes most of his public appearances addressing the origins of our nation and lamenting a citizenry that he believes has lost its way.

"I stopped defining myself as an actor and I went to Oxford because I believe that America is a miracle," Dreyfuss said. "And I think that there is nothing easier in the world than for us to lose this miracle and to be reduced to words on paper."

Dreyfuss fears just that _ that future generations will view our freedoms as a fairy tale.

"It'll break my heart, and it should break yours," he said.

Dreyfuss, 61, blames a lack of civil discourse, the din of television and any number of distractions for moving us away from understanding our origins as a nation.

Dreyfuss is comfortable discussing the sweep of human history, but he's especially drawn to the drama of the Civil War.

In March, he was the star attraction at a Washington, D.C., event for the Civil War Preservation Trust, which annually releases a report on endangered battlefields. His interest in the Civil War goes way back, and he was recruited as a re-enactor at the battle of Cedar Creek, in northern Virginia, while filming "What About Bob?," which was set at New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee but filmed at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

Dreyfuss won an Oscar at 29 for "The Goodbye Girl," making him then the youngest male lead to win the trophy. He said the honor wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"I was too young," he said. "I didn't know until later that I am built to be in pursuit. I am not built to have achieved. I'm happiest when I'm on the hunt."

The Dreyfuss Initiative has put the actor back in the hunt _ for a Nobel peace prize.

"Not to be glib about it, because nothing about this is glib, but I'm going for the Nobel," he said. "If I before I get it, I'd rather have a lofty ambition."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

SPANISH HIP HOP?? check. it. out. (Hocus Pocus Hip Hop ? feat The Procussions)

2009-06-02T14:43:00.000-04:00

Amon Tobin: Foley Room

2009-06-02T14:39:00.000-04:00

If You Are One of God's Sons

2009-06-02T14:38:00.000-04:00

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

speaking of Talib... HI TEK ft PUSH! MONTANA

2009-06-02T14:36:00.001-04:00

BLACK STAR GIVE US MORE

2009-06-02T14:23:00.003-04:00

Black Star’s Mos Def, Talib Kweli Dabble in Politics at Reunion Show

Barricades lined the streets of New York’s Times Square Saturday evening. Barack and Michelle Obama dropped into town for dinner and a play (August Wilson revival Joe Turner’s Come and Gone). Just across the street at the Nokia Theatre, a packed house went wild while Mos Def and Talib Kweli reunited onstage as Black Star nearly 11 years after their classic, and only, studio album as a duo.

“Shout out to Michelle Obama!” Mos called out after the crowd sang along with “Brown Skin Lady,” a reverential ode to the fairer sex. “You know Obama’s up the block, right?” Mos asked, going into an Obama bit, acting as if he were exiting the Air Force One. “That’s right whitey! Deal with it!” He yelled, then assured the crowd: “I don’t mean the whiteys in here, you know what whiteys I’m taking about. Crazy whiteys.”

“Yeah, the crazy whiteys,” Talib agreed.

“But it’s a brand new daaay” Mos sang, introducing “Sunshine,” on which he boasted over Kanye West’s production about being a “Slim nigga that casts a big shadow.”

“It took a year and a half to get the deal done,” said show organizer Peter “Oasis” Prudente of LiveNDirect, who plans to take the reunion on the road to other cities. “The biggest obstacle was timing, finding a date that worked for both Mos and Kweli.” The time was right as both ready to release separate albums. Mos Def’s fourth solo album, The Ecstatic, is due out next week. Kweli is recording a Reflection Eternal follow-up with producer Hi-Tek. “Ayo Dante, don’t you have an album coming out?” Kweli asked after “K.O.S. (Determination),” plugging his partner’s new album. “I do got something coming out,” Mos took his cue. “I’m excited about it and you should be too.” Mos offered an autobiographical a cappella leading into a tribute to late producer J Dilla and other fallen rappers, referencing being born in ‘73.” A fan turned to her pal after calculating Mos’ age: “35!”

“We sell, crack to our own out the back of our homes…” All hands and cameras were in the air as Kweli set off his Kanye West-produced hit “Get By.” “When people decide to keep on disguise you can’t see their eyes ’cause see they’re evil inside,” Mos added with emphasis before going into poignant favorites “Umi Says” and “Respiration.”

After rapping about being an extension of their ancestors, Black Star left with a quick but earnest thank you to New York City. A few hours later, they packed a second reunion show at the Nokia, taking advantage of being in the same place at the same time, at least for a night.

Set List:

“Definition”
“RE: DEFinition”
“Brown Skin Lady”
“Sunshine”
“Brooklyn” (third verse)
“K.O.S.” (Determination)
“Supreme, Supreme”
“RIP interlude”
“The Panties”
“Move Somethin’ ”
“Brooklyn” (second verse)
“Get By”
“Umi Says”
“Respiration”

story by Laura Checkoway from Rolling Stones (HERE)

Nike Presents Onwards

2009-06-02T14:22:00.002-04:00

Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo.

Late is always better than never and although this isn't breaking news, it's still straight fire.

If you like sports, Kenna, Lance Armstrong, ill shit, the color yellow or aesthetically pleasing short cinema - this is dedicated to you.

Artist James Jarvis worked on an interesting new film project, entitled “Onwards”. One of his characters is featured in the short movie, running in a non-linear environment.

“I had become interested in the idea of characters that were less referential and more iconic and abstract. I particularly wanted to do something with a potato-headed stick-man that I had been drawing at that time.

The film was inspired by certain personal experiences in running – a favourite run over Blanchland moor in Northumberland, being attacked by a crow in Singapore – and also by the transcendent, almost psychedelic experience of the simple act of running.

Rather than a marketing project inititated by Nike, the film was something proposed and produced by myself, and as such I hope represents a much more equal collaboration with a brand.”

TUPAC TUESDAY: life goes on

2009-06-02T14:10:00.002-04:00

90'S BINGE.... TAKING MY STABS AT COUNTING CROWS

2009-06-02T13:52:00.004-04:00

THE CHICK ON THE BOTTOM IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN "THE PREDATOR" FROM COUNTING CROWS (Adam Duritz).
COMPARISON:

PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS GIRLS YOUTUBE PAGE HERE
SHE ACTUALLY HAS HER OWN CD'S COMING OUT...

Why You Should Buy and Be Inspired by Toms Shoes

2009-06-02T13:27:00.004-04:00

Founder Blake Mycoskie, a small-business entrepreneur and dropout of Southern Methodist University, (whom TV viewers might recognize from The Amazing Race) developed the concept for a shoe company while vacationing in Argentina in January 2006. Mycoskie took to wearing the local alpargata shoes. Alpagarta shoes have been worn by Argentina famers for 100 years. These canvas or cotton fabric shoes are now manufactured in hundreds of styles and fabrics. The sole is constructed of rope or of rubber, depending on the type of shoe. Many styles of TOMS are vegan as well. After Mycoskie noticed the numerous children without shoes in the poorer villages, he returned to the United States and sold his online driver education company to self-finance the shoe company. The company name is derived from the word "tomorrow", and evolved from the original concept, "Shoes for Tomorrow Project". (from Wikipedia)

Soundgarden: Black Hole Sun

2009-06-02T13:22:00.001-04:00

Reminds me of Paulie Shore. Which is not usually a good thing...

There's nothing new under the sun

2009-06-02T13:15:00.002-04:00

I couldn't understand why I enjoyed this song by "Finger Eleven" so much in Saxby's today. Well, probably because it is nearly identical to Float On by Modest Mouse which came out 5 years ago, which I happen to love.

Listen and learn...

Will Ferrel vs. WTF?? (man vs. wild)

2009-06-02T13:07:00.002-04:00

MAN VS WILD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURING WILL FERREL 10PM TONIGHT, TUESDAY, ON DISCOVERY. IM ALREADY WET.

Steeztastic: Oakley x Shaun White Frogskins

2009-06-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

Steeztastic: N4E1 ... Not For Everyone

2009-06-02T12:40:00.002-04:00

SPRING 09

I sweat this movie... The Getaway

2009-06-02T00:41:00.001-04:00

"Hell of a way to make a living Doc"
"Well you should have married a dentist"

THE WHISPER SONG LIKE YOU NEVER SEEN BEFORE

2009-06-01T18:24:00.001-04:00

Beyond beaters. I HAVENT TOUCHED SOME OF THESE SINCE 2004. SOME 2000. TIME TO GO

2009-06-01T18:17:00.002-04:00

GANG OF FOUR

2009-06-01T11:41:00.001-04:00

No, not the communist, terrorist party. Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984.

Steeztastic: Ralph Lauren Horace Canvas Loafer

2009-06-01T11:39:00.004-04:00

BUY HERE

The Road... new vigo movie

2009-06-01T11:39:00.001-04:00

I can't decide if this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen or not

2009-06-01T11:28:00.002-04:00

Who is HotForWords? Her name is Marina Orlova, she’s 28 and she’s a philologist! Now you might be asking what the heck is a philologist? Well, it’s someone who studies linguistics and etymology.. and in Marina’s case.. she has applied her Philology degrees to specializing in word origins.

Marina has two degrees - Teaching of Russian Language and World Literature Specializing in Philology and the Teaching of English Language Specializing in Philology from State University of Nizhni Novgorod Region in Russian Federation, graduated 2002 and taught English to high school students for 2 years.

Marina burst on to the scene in mid 2007 launching her YouTube channel HotForWords, where she takes requests from YouTube viewers for words to discuss, and she releases 5-7 videos each week discussing the origins of these words, in a fun and playful manner!

Marina is the #1 most viewed Guru on YouTube, she’s consistently one of the most watched channels on ALL of YouTube as well, her videos are seen a few million times each week (currently at 195,640,113 Total Video Views on YouTube alone and counting), she recently hosted a bi-weekly radio show on Maxim Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, she’s currently writing a book for HarperCollins on fun word origins - yet nobody really knows much about Marina, other than what her channel states - that she is from “The Capital of the Republic of Lexicon” and her hometown is “Etymologia” :-)

Called the “Sexiest Philologist in the world” by New Yorker Magazine, Marina was voted the World’s #1 Sexiest Geek by Wired Magazine’s Sexy Geek of the Year Contest, she’s been on the Bill O’Reilly Factor Show on Fox a few times teaching him a few word origins :-), she was voted the 5th hottest woman on the net by G4 TV and she was mentioned in Cosmopolitan Magazine as one of the top 3 channels on YouTube! As her tag-line at the beginning of her videos states “Intelligence is Sexy” - Marina is definitely doing her part to try to prove that point! For a video recap of all this, watch this segment from G4 Television’s Attack of the Show.

Marina can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/hotforwords and her website www.hotforwords.com.

-taken from her bio section of her website www.hotforwords.com

The World Is Yours...

2009-06-01T11:18:00.002-04:00

Very interesting article I found on TheVillageVoice.com concerning the future of the music industry (which in many ways is any music fan's future).

How the Music Industry Died: Steve Knopper's Appetite for Self-Destruction
A Rolling Stone reporter charts the doomed path from Thriller to Internet-based horror
By Rob Harvilla

Congrats to Lil Wayne, whose Tha Carter III was the best-selling record of 2008—and the weakest-selling yearly bestseller since SoundScan started tracking these things nearly two decades ago. Couldn't crack three million. The music industry is toast, my friends. And congrats to Rolling Stone vet Steve Knopper, whose fantastic new book Appetite for Self-Destruction explains why, as it charts the dizzying highs (Thriller, the CD boom, boy bands) and brutal lows (payola, Napster hysteria, the "rootkit" debacle) of an oft-amoral biz whose legendary coke-fueled boom times now read as ancient history and/or science fiction. I rang up Steve recently to talk about it; here are some excerpts.
This book vacillates between sympathy for the music industry and outright contempt—you sincerely try to rationalize why the labels decided to start suing junior high students for illegal downloading, but you still conclude it was a horrible, horrible idea. How much pity do you have for these guys? Is this book a tragedy or a comedy?

I would make it a little bit more gray than that. I have a fondness for the record industry. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of [Fredric Dannen's 1990 music-biz tell-all] Hit Men—it's one of my favorite books ever, but I feel that that book was so tough on the music industry, it ventured several times into contemptuousness. My feeling was, I wanted to be very critical, and call a spade a spade, and say what they did wrong, but at the same time, I've covered music and the music industry for a long time, and I have a fondness for, you know, that whole sort of—this is gonna sound cynical; I don't mean it to—but that whole sort of "hookers and blow" era.

I was really getting into the chapter about the CD boom, where you've got these crazy Mafia characters, and you've got these coke addicts like Walter Yetnikoff at the head of these companies, running into offices and screaming at people. Guys who talk like this: raaaowr, raaaowr, raaaowr, like the Penguin in the Batman show. In Hit Men, I think it came across like, "These people are evil." To an extent, that's true. But my feeling was, I bet that was pretty cool, too.

You keep returning to the idea that lots of people, and I'm pretty sure I'm among them, consider a lot of the industry's troubles to be divine retribution—payback for decades of lousy artist contracts and $18.99 CDs. But given the technology, would it have made any difference if this industry had always been fair and benevolent and lovable? You and I both can find pretty much any album we like for free online in a couple of minutes—was there ever any way to stop this?

I'm trying to think of an analogy of another industry that was abused by technology that didn't do all those terrible things that the music industry did, and the only one that comes to mind is the newspaper industry. It seems like the newspaper industry wasn't as evil and stonewalling, and still may face the same inevitable just desserts because of technology. The point I make in the Napster chapter (and I'm not the first one to make this point): Had the record labels jumped into a deal with Napster when the time was right, when Napster was at its peak, I really do think that could've been a business model. Maybe it wouldn't have sent them back to 1994 levels of business, but I think they wouldn't be in the horrible position they're in today.

You're right that people embraced Napster and Kazaa and Torrents because of spite, but I actually think that was a relatively small contingent of people. I think that the people who embraced it most embraced it because, "What a cool thing. I don't have to get in my car and go to Tower Records and buy the $18 CD if I want this song. I can just get it in my home and mess around." And then you start fantasizing a little bit. What if Napster did become a real, legit thing? It would have anticipated Facebook and Friendster and MySpace. It would have been social networking. It would have allowed you to make mixtapes and trade playlists. It would have eventually gone to cell phones; it would have predated the iPhone. It could have been an incredibly powerful service—and not just because everything was free. You charge people a fair price for that, maybe that anti-music-industry contingent wouldn't have taken it, but a lot of people would have.

Did you mess around with Napster yourself at the time? Have you ever been swayed by the "music wants to be free" crowd, ever buy into the theory that this was a people's revolution to overthrow an evil, outdated industry?

No. Basically not. I did tinker around with Napster, yes. I got a lot of good, free music at the time—I guess I won't be sued anymore for that. But, basically, I thought it was theft. I still think it was piracy. I realize I'm walking a bit of a fine line in the book, because I'm not ripping on the music industry for just saying, "Oh, my God, this is piracy. We need better locks." I'm not criticizing that impetus, that notion. I'm basically saying they should've taken the next step and gone, "Oh wait, this'll revolutionize our industry."

The last chapter lists everything the music industry should do—needs to do—to survive. What percentage of that do you think will actually come to pass? How optimistic are you? What percentage of the people you interviewed will still hold the same job five years from now?

I just think that the smaller labels are going to continue to stumble, if they're not bought outright. EMI seems to be reeling right now. Warner's stock price is way down, although they've had some success. Probably, you're going to wind up with a couple hit machines: Universal, maybe Sony-BMG. You still are going to need those kinds of companies, that expertise, to find the proverbial Toni Braxton singing in the gas station, discovered by some label talent scout. But those companies are going to make less and less money, and get smaller and smaller, and get less and less influential, and I think that maybe Live Nation or Ticketmaster or my mythical Apple-EMI is going to pop up and change the model and be more nimble.

Another point I want to make is that these labels will always own some really incredible assets. EMI owns the Beatles catalog, so they're always going to be a player. You or I could own the Beatles catalog and make money. Just not make enough money to have hookers and blow.

www.thevillagevoice.com

KAT DENNINGS. im on my knees

2009-06-01T11:06:00.005-04:00

Ok, I just saw Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist... no response neccesary. The highlight of the film ISN'T the recurring role of nerdy-role-abused Michael Cera, but the busty and beautiful Kat Dennings. I guarentee your eyes wont leave the triangle made by her rediculous lips and the puppies she pulls out 1/4 into the movie. If she isn't enough eye candy, peep the fact that she runs her own, very honest, blog as well as a youtube channel that is... amusing. Here are some photos and a video to seal the deal.

katdennings.com

BLACK STAR REUNION AT NOKIA THEATRE IN TIMES SQUARE. WHY. WASN'T. I. THERE?

2009-05-31T12:41:00.002-04:00

FINALLY A REUNION. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING GREATER. JUST LIKE THE DUO. HERES SOM GAME FOOTAGE:

WE THE LIONS YOU THE CHEETAHSSSSSSSSS

Gemma Booth

2009-05-31T12:14:00.002-04:00

Treasure Box from Gemma Booth on Vimeo.

Photographer Gemma Booth's short film. Peep more at her blog HERE

OBAMA THE DUDE

2009-05-31T11:03:00.003-04:00

Obama's Flickr page gives day by day lifestyle shots. It almost brings a tear to my eye seeing Obama kick it like Joe The Plumber... You can't put a price on a genuine dude

GRIZZLY BEAR: two weeks

2009-05-31T10:24:00.002-04:00

RAN INTO THESE DUDES WHILE OUT ON MY MORNING JOG ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB. AND PROCEEDED TO BUY THEIR ALBUM. GET AT IT...

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks (official music video)
by WeeRezZ

Drink this down with your coffee... its the future son

2009-05-31T10:10:00.001-04:00

CHRISTIAN RICH: FAMOUS GIRL

2009-05-31T09:53:00.000-04:00

most def listen to MOS DEF's upcoming album

2009-05-31T09:52:00.001-04:00

WISH I WAS AT THE BLACKSTAR CONCERT IN NY YESTERDAY
Mos Def - Words - The Ecstatic - available 6/9/09

SHOTTAS

2009-05-30T11:35:00.003-04:00

IF BELLY WASN'T ENOUGH

speaking of Belly, its follow up movie was the worst movie ever made:
Belly 2 aka Millionaire Boyz Club

(if you catch these scenes on your tv change the channel)

PORN BY NUMBERS... (best excuse you never came up with)

2009-05-30T11:13:00.004-04:00

Porn by Numbers Kit
Review by Ann Andriani

This is a complete erotic paint by numbers kit. Now, you can become an erotic painter with ease.
Initial Thoughts

My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this site as we were surfing the net one night. Since I’m not an artist, I mean not an artist by any sense of the word.I figured this would be something to try. Plus it’s sexy, so how can I pass up the opportunity? I checked out the different pictures that were offered to paint and placed my order via Paypal. I wasn’t sure how quickly I would receive it or even in what quality I would receive it in because I was making a purchase on what appeared to be a free homepage/server. That usually makes me a little learly, however, there was nothing to worry about. I received my kit rather quickly, I believe within a week, and was extremely impressed with what I got. Now I can’t tell enough people about it!
What you get Each kit includes the following:

* A full size 8″x10″ numbered, outline of the print on real canvas.
* Approximately 3″ long tubes full of paint that is needed to complete the picture. All colors are supplied.
* If the background is a solid color, you get a little jug of that.
* 1 paint brush
* A postcard of the completed picture to guide you along
* A plastic box frame for you to store your painting once it’s finished

What I Liked

This kit comes with absolutely everything you need to paint your own erotica. I didn’t have to go out and purchase a thing! The paint supplied is more than enough for the picture, so you don’t have to worry about running out. The paint brush you are supplied with is of good quality; I used it for my entire painting and it didn’t give me any problems. Each tube of paint has a clearly printed number on the cork top, so there’s no possibility of you accidentally grabbing the wrong tube.

paints supplied in porn by number kit

Since I’m not an artist, I know nothing about shading, blending, etc. but with the numbers, I was able to just kick back and enjoy myself. It was a very relaxing experience for me, someone who is not a painter and who is never happy with the things I do. I painted this on my dining room table. If I happened to slip and get some paint on the table, it came off very easily and did not stain. My hands and clothes were also safe, everything washed away easily with soap and water. This is a very good thing because since I haven’t done this in a while, I was like a little kid getting it all over the place, but now that I’m finished, there’s no trace of any paint in my house.

My nails are not short, so at first I thought that would give me a problem removing and replacing the cork tops on the paint tubes, however that was NOT the case. The cork was sturdy, none of the tops broke on me. In fact, my project is finished and they are still in tact.
What I Didn’t Like

I can’t really say there’s anything I didn’t like. There was some confusion over the colors, but I honestly think that was due to my lack of experience. There were some colors that I was instructed to use to shade the one side of the woman’s face. However, when I applied the paint and even after it dried, it looked a little too dark, so I wound up making my own revisions and painting over the darker colors with lighter colors until I felt that it was more pleasing to my eyes. If that would have caused me run out of paint and not finish the project, I may have considered it a flaw in the product, but it had no affect whatsoever. I’m finished and still have plenty of paint left over.

I noticed that I had a lot of cracking on my painting, but I think that’s also due to my lack of experience. My boyfriend, who is more experienced with this kind of thing, had told me when I started to paint light layers. In my excitement, I think I applied it pretty heavily initially, so that was also my error, not any fault of the product. At least I know now to be careful with the next one.

A Quick little tip

Even though I’m no expert, I do have one tip. Since I don’t have a painter’s palette, I wanted to keep all the paint colors easily available to me, so I can see the numbers. I stood all the tubes inside a short drinking glass, which allowed me to quickly and easily grab the correct color, take off the cork top, paint right from the tube, stick the cork top back on and place back in the glass. It made things very easy and I didn’t have tubes of paint rolling all over the place.
The only thing I would change

This is kind of funny because it has absolutely nothing to do with the product. The website address is not something that’s easy to memorize due to it’s rather long and nondescript URL. The only way to really get back there is to bookmark it. If it was something easy to remember, people could get there more easily and maybe then more people would be able to experience such a great kit. So if you’re interested in this but aren’t going to purchase it right now, make sure you bookmark the page.

Finished Painting
Overall Thoughts

I haven’t engaged in a fun solo project like this in a long time and I haven’t painted anything in over 15 years.probably longer. I haven’t done it because usually I’m just not patient enough with myself and the process, and I know that a good painting can’t be done in one day/night. Plus, I haven’t found anything that I really wanted to paint. The stuff I’ve seen in craft stores just seem boring, but because I’m a pervert and love all things sexual, this was the perfect kit to get me started.

As of the time of writing, all available pictures are erotic, meaning there really isn’t any hardcore porn. It’s all in good taste, so this is something that you don’t have to fear someone seeing when leaving it out to dry. I can see this being a great erotic gift idea for that special someone or friend.

I had a blast with this! These past couple of months have been rather stressful for me and relaxing is not something that has come very easy, so I was a little concerned about starting this artistic project now. However, with the kit being so complete and with it being paint by numbers, I found this to be not only fun, but extremely relaxing; a great way for me to spend my free time.

I’m pretty sure my painting didn’t come out as good as others that have purchased from Scarlet_A…see there’s the perfectionist in me. However, when I started this project, that was not my goal; it didn’t have to come out perfectly. I purchased this kit for the experience and had a very enjoyable and very relaxing one at that. If you’re more experienced with painting, I’m sure yours will look much better. However, that’s also the point…you don’t have to be an artist to have fun with this or to make a good looking painting.

Wow, the review is almost finished and I haven’t even mentioned the best part about these kits.At the time of my own purchase and writing this review; they’re only $15.00 with an additional $5.00 for postage, that’s amazingly inexpensive! I can say with certainty that I will probably be getting the whole collection.

This Porn By Numbers Kit got a perfect rating… I believe this is the only product on this site to get a 5 out of 5 rating! The price is more than affordable, it’s a steal. You get everything you need to complete your painting. If you want to get different color paints you can, but you don’t have to. If you want to get more brushes you can, but you don’t have to. You can even get another frame, but you don’t have to. This project is literally accomplished right out of the package when it arrives. Including the box frame to display it in, that was the icing on the cake for me. I give this sexy product a perfect rating because I honestly don’t know what else could have been supplied for such an affordable price. There was nothing I needed and even though the my painting is not the most beautiful, I had a great time doing it! Bravo Annette!

FIND REVIEWS FOR ALL SUCH KINKY ISH HERE (ALLSEXREVIEWS.COM)

PICK THIS JAZZ UP HERE

A Tribe Called Quest: Busta's Lement

2009-05-29T16:29:00.001-04:00

Don't shit your pants

2009-05-28T17:25:00.001-04:00

DO NOT FUCK WITH BAS RUTTEN

2009-05-02T16:39:00.001-04:00

Common: Announcement

2009-05-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

my personal favorite off the new album.

Streak To Win: If you don't know, now ya know

2009-04-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

OH Bama

2009-04-20T09:45:00.001-04:00

Inside the Obama Family PR Machine
by Richard Wolffe
April 19, 2009 | 7:13am

As the Obamas mastered the media again this week, thanks to the rollout of their dog, Richard Wolffe reveals how the president's instincts and the first lady's discipline – and staff – are creating an image juggernaut.

Of all the picture-perfect moments of the Obama White House, few compare to the young Obama family introducing their new dog Bo to the press. There were Malia and Sasha chatting about their new pet on the South Lawn. There was the first lady on her knees petting the new addition to the family. There was the commander in chief jogging in his suit alongside a Portuguese water dog.

“Puppy me!” urged Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s Daily Show, as a respite to the president’s wonkish economic speech. Cue pictures of Obama running with his new dog, as Stewart applauded like a seal. “I really want to see the moment where he has to stop and pick up that dog’s shit. My guess is even that he will pull off in an elegant manner.”

Despite the iconic images that emanate from the White House each week, there is no Reaganesque Michael Deaver inside the West Wing.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the Obama White House is the most masterful image-making machine in politics since the Reagan era. And you’d be half right.

Despite the iconic images that emanate from the White House each week, there is no Reaganesque Michael Deaver inside the West Wing. While the president has two message guys in his inner circle – chief strategist David Axelrod and press secretary Robert Gibbs – neither of them are what you might call image-conscious, trading in words more than pictures. Their personal images underscore that point—Axelrod’s wardrobe in particular serving as a running joke inside the Obama campaign; he only started to wear a suit and tie on entering the White House—burnish that fact.

Rather, the most memorable images are often the result of opportunism and the projection powers of one Barack Obama. And the place where image control is a more disciplined business is the East Wing, among Michelle Obama's staff.

The back-story to Bo’s rollout is more revealing than you might expect, reflective of the ad-libbed nature of Obama’s image-making and the people who shape that image. Up until the moment of the press call, there was to be no first family in attendance. According to a senior White House aide, the initial plan was for just a staffer to walk “Bobama” in front of the cameras.

Even when the president and first lady decided to take the lead, there was no plan for their daughters to join them. Malia and Sasha wanted to take part themselves at the last minute. There were certainly no plans for the president to run with his dog across the South Lawn. It turns out that the memorable images came from the Obamas themselves, not their handlers.

Why the sensitivity and limited plans from the staff? One explanation lies in the painful experience of last July 4th, when the family sat down with NBC’s Access Hollywood for an interview. It was Malia’s 10th birthday and the family was feeling relaxed after a day of parades, hula-hoops and picnics in the small town of Butte, Montana. That was when the family let down their guard. The TV crew attached microphones to the Obama girls, saying innocently that they were just looking for some ambient sound like a laugh or sigh in response to their parents.

Instead interviewer Maria Menounos turned the questions to the girls and they jumped right in, delivering enough exclusive material to spin the footage over several nights of TV.

As his daughters engaged in the unscripted interview, Obama shot several angry glares at his staffers off camera. He finally wrapped up the interview when Menounos began to push the girls to get a pet dog, offering herself as their dog trainer, and warning them about the difficulty of dealing with medical problems at the rear end of dogs. Obama asked the girls to leave before a subsequent magazine interview and made his displeasure known to his staff over the next several days.

The lessons of Access Hollywood were only half-digested. Inside the White House, Obama’s aides have taken a hard line against press questions about the girls’ friends, schedules, habits and interests. As much as possible, the president wants to protect his children and their privacy from enormous worldwide attention.

Still, there is a gray area that remains unresolved. The family has posed for magazine photo shoots together and released official photos of the first day at school. Unscripted moments can take place—if and when the first family decides to break its own rules. And judging by the coverage, they can provide some of the most memorable images of this young presidency. The Obamas are still trying to find a comfort zone between total exclusion and limited access.

Their normal state of affairs is more, rather than less, restricted. Team Obama has never been afraid to confront and control the media. From day one of the presidential campaign in February 2007, it could command a large planeload of reporters and cameras. On that first weekend trip to Iowa, more than two years ago, Obama berated the press for focusing more on a photo of him in a black swimsuit than, say, his position on healthcare or the war in Iraq.

Such a focus on image is not surprising for a president whose best-selling books are a memoir and a personal prescription for what ails politics, and whose “No Drama” persona was perhaps best burnished during the campaign by his cool, casual poses on the covers of Rolling Stone and GQ. More eye-opening: the real discipline—and arguably the real success—lies in the East Wing, with the first lady’s staff. Day-to-day message control for the family lies with Michelle Obama’s press office, especially with communications director Camille Johnston, who used to work for Tipper Gore, and press secretary Katie McCormick Lelyveld, who performed the same job through the long campaign.

Sometimes Michelle Obama’s image-making is effortless. Her much-publicized clothes for her European tour were selected by her long-time stylist Ikram Goldman, who owns a boutique in Chicago.

Sometimes the image-making is an intensive effort. Michelle’s team expended enormous energy fending off hostile stories through the election. Some were factual, such as her comments about being proud of her country for the first time. Some were laughably false but still damaging, such as the unsubstantiated rumor that she had used the word “whitey.”

The results, whether intentional or accidental, are impressive. Michelle Obama has an approval rating that eclipses her popular husband. According to a recent Gallup poll, the first lady has a positive rating of 72 percent and a negative rating of just 17 per cent. The president reaches 69 per cent positives and 28 percent negatives.

Those numbers place her at Laura Bush levels of popularity just a few months into the White House. For someone whose frowning face used to accompany unflattering stories in conservative magazines, that is an image worth framing.

Richard Wolffe is an award-winning journalist and political analyst for MSNBC television. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine, traveling with the candidate and his inner circle from his announcement through election day, 21 months later. He is now writing a book about the Obama campaign, entitled Renegade: The Making of a President, to be published by Crown in June 2009. Before Newsweek, he was a senior journalist at the Financial Times.

from the daily beast: HERE

My Morning Jacket: Highly Suspicioius

2009-04-15T12:59:00.000-04:00

INCREDIBLE

KID CUDI, KANYE WEST, COMMON, LADY GAGA... I POKER FACE craaazy

2009-04-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

CROWN CITY ROCKERS: SIDESTEP

2009-04-03T19:29:00.001-04:00

Honda creates the first "Terminator"

2009-04-01T09:43:00.002-04:00

Honda thinks up mind-controlled robots
A video of the robot mind control system shows a user being shown a card with a picture of a hand on it. After pondering his hand, the command from the user's brain is then transferred to Asimo, which acknowledges the request by raising its robotic limb. Thankfully, users are not required to wear Crocs.
(Credit: Honda)
We're not just moving toward the day when robots can do everything for us. We're apparently moving toward the day when we can just think about what we want done, and get it (almost) presto.
Japan's Honda Research Institute and precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu on Tuesday demonstrated a rather mind-boggling technology that lets humans control a bot through thought alone--thus taking the pesky button pressing, voice commands, and remote controls out of the equation.

The system uses a black helmet fitted with sensors to measure brain activity corresponding to thought.
(Credit: Honda)
But don't start trying to telepath your Scooba into writing your doctoral thesis just yet. For now, researchers are focusing on getting the latest version of Honda's Asimo humanoid bot to perform simple actions like raising an arm or leg.
The system involves a helmet full of electroencephalography and near-infrared spectroscopy sensors that monitor electrical brainwaves and cerebral blood flow, signals that alter slightly during the human thought process. The robot controller thinks of one of a limited number of specific gestures it wants from Asimo, which has been fitted with a Brain Machine Interface.
The data is then analyzed on a real-time basis to distinguish what the user imagined and transmitted wirelessly to the bot, which makes corresponding movements.
Researchers in Tokyo showed a demonstration video of the system in which a user is shown a card with a picture of a right hand on it. After the user thinks about his right hand, the command from the user's brain is then transferred to Asimo, which acknowledges the request and raises its own right robotic limb.
Unfortunately, the scientists did not demo the technology live due to what they said were space constraints and concerns about possible distractions to the person's concentration--presumably in the form of blinding flashbulbs and the stunned faces of onlookers.
Honda nonetheless says tests of the system have produced results with 90 percent accuracy.

-CNet

THE WORLD IS... YOURS?

2009-03-30T23:37:00.000-04:00

London's own Adele: Chasing Pavement

2009-03-27T13:02:00.001-04:00

Iron Man v Bruce Lee

2009-03-25T09:50:00.001-04:00

Canadian filmmaker Patrick Bolvin presents a rather well done one minute video, which images a fight between Bruce Lee and Iron Man.

Mr Hudson: There Will Be Tears

2009-03-24T22:55:00.001-04:00

He might not sell the most, if any records right now, but this guy is one of the best artists on this earth.

TUPAC TUESDAY: picture me rollin

2009-03-24T00:49:00.001-04:00

MOBB DEEP MONDAY: SHOOK ONES PT. 2

2009-03-23T14:05:00.001-04:00

STEEZ-TASTIC: CHIDDY BANG... SOONER OR LATER

2009-03-23T13:54:00.003-04:00

THESE GUYS ARE EXTREMELY INTRIGUING. Chiddy Bang is a new group from PHILLY. They are providing all their music for free right now. CHECK THEM OUT YOU WONT REGRET. SOONER OR LATER IS FABULOUS.

BAND HOMEPAGE: http://www.myspace.com/chiddybangphilly
FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS: http://www.purevolume.com/chiddybang

STEEZY: Nike Air Tech Challenge Hybrid

2009-03-23T09:27:00.002-04:00

Nike combines Aggassi's entire career of style to create these ATCs. BUY HERE

Pegleg produced OPENING CEREMONY ish

2009-03-23T09:24:00.001-04:00

New Opening Ceremony ish available at online store HERE

new UBIQ: Fatima Mid

2009-03-23T09:22:00.001-04:00

New colorways in UBIQ's classic Fatima... available HERE

Copacabana Club - Just Do It

2009-03-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

Ryan Leslie: I-R-I-N-A

2009-03-22T22:48:00.001-04:00

Ryan Leslie - I.R.I.N.A
by wonderful-life1989

G.O.O.D Music presents KID CUDI: SuperBoo

2009-03-22T22:45:00.000-04:00

PEEP: World Famous San Francisco "Bush Man"

2009-03-22T22:39:00.002-04:00

Barry O to the Naysayers

2009-03-21T14:57:00.001-04:00

"I realize there are those who say these plans are too ambitious to enact," Obama said. "To that I say that the challenges we face are too large to ignore. I didn't come here to pass on our problems to the next president or the next generation — I came here to solve them."

You Know Prison is Big Business When...

2009-03-18T20:19:00.001-04:00

Criminal correction spending is outpacing budget growth in education, transportation and public assistance, based on state and federal data.

States have shown a preference for prison spending even though it is cheaper to monitor convicts in community programs, including probation and parole, which require offenders to report to law enforcement officers. A survey of 34 states found that states spent an average of $29,000 a year on prisoners, compared with $1,250 on probationers and $2,750 on parolees. The study found that despite more spending on prisons, recidivism rates remained largely unchanged.

From the NYT.

BRUNO: Sacha Baron Cohen's genius lives on

2009-03-18T14:49:00.003-04:00

Sacha Baron Cohen's new film, 'Bruno,' premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas this past week. Anyone stupid enough to get fooled this often by the brilliant Cohen deserves the public humiliation this film should bring. If you were nervous whether the follow-up to Borat could live up to the hype, the following reviews should alleviate your fear:
"A jaw-on-the-floor wow. Sacha Baron Cohen has done it again, delivering another WMD slam dunk of hysterically subversive mocku-comedy. The film's take-no-prisoners approach was breathlessly funny, but no doubt some will ask: Has Sacha Baron Cohen gone too far?" -- MTV
"To the say the material was funny is a laughable insult itself. This brief look at Bruno quite possibly promises a more raucous laugh than Borat, which is no small feat. It may just redefine outrageous and will probably outdo Borat." -- First Showing
"It was hilarious, envelope-pushing as always, but with Cohen's talent to layer it with some real hard looks at who we are as a people and a commentary on how people really act." -- AICN
"What we saw was brilliant. I can’t wait to see the rest." -- Cinematical
"You'll laugh and groan in all the right places, but it will never not feel familiar. It's funny deja vu, but it's still deja vu." -- Hollywood Reporter
"If you're a 'Borat' fan and were worried that Cohen had lost the anonymity necessary to dupe stereotypical Americans with humorous results, rest assured 'Bruno' is hilarious." -- FSR
"While the screening was funny and surprising, it did not pack quite the same punch as one’s first exposure to 'Borat'. So far, these 'Bruno' scenes lacked the truly subversive bite that made 'Borat' both outrageous and thoughtful, playing it safe rather than really pushing the limit." -- Los Angeles Times

Video of the Day: Sesame Street Explains Madoff Scandal

2009-03-18T14:47:00.001-04:00

Pope Benedict goes to Africa preaching AIDS IGNORANCE

2009-03-18T14:39:00.001-04:00

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Tuesday reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS as he started a visit to Africa, where more than 25 million people have died from the disease in recent decades.

The Pope, who arrived to a tumultuous welcome in the capital of Cameroon, also said the continent's people were suffering disproportionately due to the global challenges of food shortages, financial crises and climate change.

"It (AIDS) cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem," he said in response to a question about the Church's widely contested position against the use of condoms.

The disease has killed more than 25 million people since the early 1980s, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, and some 22.5 million Africans are living with HIV.

His words were some of his most explicit on the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS since his election in 2005.

The Church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS. It does not approve condoms but some Church leaders have been calling for allowing their use in rare cases between married heterosexual couples where one partner has the disease.

"The only solution is two-fold: the first is a humanisation of sexuality, a human, spiritual renewal which brings with it a new way of behaving among people and, secondly, a true friendship, especially for those who are suffering, a willingness to make personal sacrifices," he said.

He called for "correct behaviour regarding one's body".

TUMULTUOUS WELCOME

The Pope was greeted by tens of thousands of dancing and singing people lining the 25 km route from the airport to the city.

With the number of practising Catholics dwindling in the developed world, Africa is seen as vital to the Church's future. But the relationship is not without controversy, mainly over the condoms issue.

"At a time of global food shortages, financial turmoil, and disturbing patterns of climate change Africa suffers disproportionately," he told crowds on his arrival.

"More and more of her people are falling prey to hunger, poverty and disease. They cry out for reconciliation, justice and peace, and that is what the church offers them," he said.

Speaking to reporters on the plane, the Pope said the economic crisis was a product of a "deficit of ethics in economic structures".

"Ethics is something that should not be outside economics, but inside it. The economy does not work if it does not carry an ethical component inside itself," he said.

In his arrival address to President Paul Biya, Benedict called on Christians to tackle violence, poverty, corruption and abuse of power, issues that have continually stifled the continent's progress.

Many in Cameroon have called on the Pope to send a strong message to his host, Biya, who has ruled for over 26 years.

Biya's time in power has been marked by accusations of high-level corruption and human rights abuses. The security forces this week destroyed street-side stalls that provided an income for thousands, in a bid to clean up the city.

(Additional reporting by Tansa Musa)

SO FLY(wire): Nike Pinnacle Flywire Windrunner

2009-03-18T14:34:00.001-04:00

Nike's Pinnacle collection is filthy. the material on this piece is so nice I feel guilty looking at it.

PASSION PIT: Sleepy Head

2009-03-18T14:29:00.001-04:00

PASSION PIT: Cuddle Fuddle

2009-03-18T14:28:00.001-04:00

Instead of a War on Poverty they gotta War on Drugs so the Police can Bother Me

2009-03-15T12:27:00.003-04:00

Great article from the Economist.

"Legalisation might encourage legitimate drug companies to try to improve the stuff that people take. The resources gained from tax and saved on repression would allow governments to guarantee treatment to addicts—a way of making legalisation more politically palatable. The success of developed countries in stopping people smoking tobacco, which is similarly subject to tax and regulation, provides grounds for hope."

Regulation always works better than prohibition. Stop wasting our damn money!

POST SCRIPT: Also found this gem from Time Magazine:

Pot is, after all, California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion a year in sales, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity - milk and cream - which brings in $7.3 billion a year, according to the most recent USDA statistics. The state's tax collectors estimate the bill would bring in about $1.3 billion a year in much needed revenue, offsetting some of the billions of dollars in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget.

The Credit Crisis Visualized

2009-03-15T11:59:00.001-04:00

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

TYSON

2009-03-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

VIDEO VIDEO

2008-12-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't entertain you I dont know what does

TRAILER: FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

2008-12-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Hopefully John Travolta can reinvent himself with this gem.

TRAILER: POWDER BLUE

2008-12-25T09:24:00.001-05:00

POTTER PUPPETS

2008-12-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Hi, IM THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE'S WIFE

2008-12-18T10:57:00.002-05:00

CARLA BRUNI SUING COMPANY FOR ADDING NUDE PHOTO OF HER TO TOTE BAG IN FRANCE

LONG LIVE THE DARK KNIGHT

2008-12-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

Dark Knight' Breaks DVD And Blu-ray Sales Records In Just One WeeK

It hasn't been long since 'The Dark Knight' hit store shelves but DVD and Blu-ray sales of the movie are already shattering records.

The film has already sold a whopping 13.5 million units worldwide, including a record 1.7 million on Blu-ray, to become the best selling DVD of 2008 -- in only the first week of its release. A trend that is sure to continue with the holiday shopping season now in full swing.

Warner Bros. has said that the response to the digital copy of the movie included on the Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD has also been strong with more than 300,000 users activating their digital copies.

'The Dark Knight' marked the first time that a major feature film was partially shot using IMAX cameras, and that is said to be another reason for movie's successful transition to DVD, after breaking box office records this summer.

The film recently earned a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker and was the year's highest-grossing film at the North American box office. It will be re-released to cinemas in January, to help cross the elusive $1 billion mark in earnings and attempt to be fresh in minds for an Oscar push.

INTERESTING...

2008-12-18T10:39:00.001-05:00

Argentina to trial vanishing free kick spray
Reuters
December 10, 2008

Argentina will use a vanishing spray in first division games next year in an attempt to stop defensive walls from creeping forward at free kicks.

The spray has been used on an experimental basis in the second division for the last six months and the Argentina Football Association (AFA) has now approved its use in the top flight, officials said on Wednesday.

Referees pace the regulatory 10-yards between the ball and the nearest defender and then spray a white line on the pitch to mark the correct position of the wall.

The line then disappears from the pitch within a minute.

Referees carry the spray in a small aerosol can weighing 115 grams.

Pablo Silva, a sports journalist who invented the spray and has worked with chemical engineers to develop the product, said the idea came to him when he was foiled at a free kick during an amateur game several years ago.

"In the 88th minute, we were losing 1-0 and won a free kick on the edge of the area. When I took the kick, the wall was three metres away," he said earlier this year.

"The referee didn't book anyone and didn't do anything.

"We lost the game and, driving home later with a mixture of anger and bitterness, I thought that we must invent something to stop this."

A spray has been used in some competitions in Brazil in the last few years for the same purpose. Silva said the products were different and had been developed separately.

WHY YOU SHOULD LIKE CHARLES HAMILTON

2008-12-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

CHARLES HAMILTON: BROOKLYN GIRL

2008-12-18T09:23:00.001-05:00

X-MEN WERE LAME. WOLVERINES, HES A B A M F

2008-12-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here's the first extended trailer for 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', which tells the story of Wolverine and his time with Team X, before Wolverine's skeleton was bonded with an indestructible metal.

The prequel to the 'X-Men' trilogy is slated to be released on May 1, 2009 -- which is certainly shaping up to be a great month for movies with 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', 'Star Trek', 'Terminator Salvation' and Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Bruno'.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

APPARENTLY THERES ALSO A SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND INTELLIGENCE; anyone condemning stem cell research in the name of "embroes'' is an asshole

2008-12-16T11:33:00.001-05:00

Vatican Hardens Opposition To Stem Cell Research

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican hardened its opposition Friday to using embryos for stem cell research, cloning and in-vitro fertilization. But in a major new document on bioethics, it showed flexibility on some forms of gene therapy and left open questions surrounding embryo adoption.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued "The Dignity of a Person" to help answer bioethical questions that have emerged in the two decades since its last such document was published.

With it, the Vatican essentially confirmed in a single, authoritative instruction the opinions of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Vatican advisory body that has debated these issues for years.

The Vatican's overall position stems from its belief that human life begins at conception and must be given the consequent respect and dignity from that moment on. The Vatican also holds that human life should be created through intercourse between husband and wife, not in a petri dish.

As a result, the Vatican said it opposed in vitro fertilization and related technologies because it involved separating conception from the "conjugal act" and often results in the destruction of embryos.

But it stopped short of issuing an explicit no to "embryo adoption," whereby infertile couples adopt embryos that were frozen during in vitro techniques and subsequently abandoned. It said that while the intent was "praiseworthy," the result posed legal, medical and psychological problems.

Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, emeritus professor of medicine and medical ethics at Georgetown University and the chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics, said that vagueness indicated that the question of embryo adoption "is still a little bit open."

"That means we're not issuing dicta on things which may be questionable," he said in an interview from Washington.

He said the document was valuable not because it contained any new pronouncements, but because it made explicit, and in one authoritative place, Vatican positions on issues that have emerged since the last such document was published in 1987, "Donum Vitae," or "Gift of Life."

"The important thing is the linking (of the scientific advances) with the dignity of the human person, and the notion of the church's teaching on procreation," he said.

The Vatican said it opposed the morning-after pill, even if it doesn't cause an abortion, because an abortion was intended. That could complicate the situation of some Catholic hospitals in the United States that offer the morning-after pill to rape victims.

In the use of drugs such as RU-486, which causes the elimination of the embryo once it is implanted, the "sin of abortion" is committed, the document said, thus their use is "gravely immoral."

The Vatican did show flexibility in saying that parents could in good conscience use vaccines for their children that were prepared using cell lines derived from an "illicit origin." Religious groups in the United States have pressed the Vatican to issue a statement concerning the morality of using vaccines prepared using cell lines derived from aborted fetuses.

"Grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify the use of such 'biological material,'" the instruction said, adding that the parents would have to make known their disagreement with the way the vaccines were developed and press for alternatives.

But the document was strong in stressing that researchers using such material had a greater degree of responsibility. It said they had a moral duty to remove themselves from the "evil aspects" of the original, illicit act _ even if they and their institutions had nothing to do with it.

The document said gene therapy on regular cells in the body other than reproductive ones was in principle morally licit since it sought to "restore the normal genetic configuration of the patient or to counter damage caused by genetic anomalies."

But it said cell therapy that seeks to correct genetic defects with the aim of transmitting the therapy to offspring was more problematic.

"Because the risks connected to any genetic manipulation are considerable and as yet not fully controllable, in the present state of research, it is not morally permissible to act in a way that may cause harm to the resulting progeny," the document said.

In the instruction, the Vatican repeated that it supported research involving adult stem cells. But it said obtaining stem cells from a living embryo was "gravely illicit."

It repeated its opposition to human cloning for both medical therapies and reproduction. Such techniques could result in an individual being subjected to a form of "biological slavery from which it would be difficult to free himself."

It noted therapeutic cloning techniques in which embryonic-type stem cells can be produced without destroying true embryos. The document didn't rule definitively on the technology, known as altered nuclear transfer, saying there were still questions about what was produced.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

SOULLESS BASTARD

2008-12-14T23:50:00.002-05:00

IM IN LOVE... this is for you

2008-12-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

Raphael Saadiq - Love That Girl (New)
by foxysoul