Throw a rock in New Orleans and you're likely to hit a singer/musician, and apparently that's true even if the rock taps the city's mayor, Mitch Landrieu. He did his part Tuesday night at the city's Pay It Forward benefit for survivors of Hurricane Sandy. The Times Picayune reports:
During the first of three hours of music at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 20, Landrieu sang “This City," an ode to New Orleans resiliency Steve Earle composed for HBO’s “Treme.” The mayor, for whom musical theater was at one point a career ambition, was accompanied by an understated, appropriately somber brass ensemble and professional singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill. But he carried the tune, acquitting himself on such lyrics as “this city won't wash away, this city won't ever drown.” He earned one of the night's loudest and longest cheers.
Landrieu also plays the trumpet and has been participating in Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews's Horns for Schools project.
The Pay It Forward foundation was established in 2011, according to the Times Picayune, to help Mississippi flood victims and it's been extended to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. New Orleans residents continue to be grateful for all the help that came its way from their fellow Americans and friends abroad. I wish I had been there last night. Read more at NOLA.com.
To contact us Click HERE Real-life "Olivia Pope" inspiration, Judy Smith, has been hired by Jill Kelley of the Petraeus fiasco, reports AdAge. I came across this tidbit while reading Margaret Colson's column at Bloomberg in which she discusses the differences between how the media treats women during such media spectacles and how the media treats men.
Of Kelley hiring Smith, Colson observes that both Kelley and Paula Broadwell have hired crisis managers and notes that with the star of this real-life scandal, General Petraeus, remaining well under the radar, the two women have drawn the eyes: "The less the news media can find out about the star of the show, the more they will focus on the bit players," writes Colson. Her column also indicates that she's being criticized for writing about the women.
From what I can see, Judy Smith must have her hands full with Kelley. Sources report that Kelley, the Florida "socialite" who drew in an FBI agent to investigate the anonymous "harassing" emails that turned out to come from Broadwell, is in deep financial trouble and has also been under the false impression that she has diplomatic immunity.
Given that her husband is a cancer surgeon, the pair must have been living far above their means to land in so much debt, which begs the question, How can she afford to hire Judy Smith? A book deal must be in the making here for her.
In this 1989 music video from Janet Jackson for her hit "Alright," you will see two of today's popular dance moves, PSY's "gangnam style" dance and LMFAO's "shuffle" from Party Rock. Watch and see.
And in this 1955 video of Bill Bailey tap dancing, you'll see the move associated with Janet's brother, the late, great Michael Jackson, "the Moonwalk."
As Michael fans know, the King of Pop watched a lot of musicals, as did many of us born around the same time as he, but unlike the rest of us, Michael was a gifted dancer and creative genius. In the dance moves of classic artists, he saw what he could re-purpose for his own musical productions and theatrical vision. I think he studied mime, as well.
I had a mime class as a teen and know that the Moonwalk is also part of that discipline. Furthermore, the great French mime Marcel Marceau was popular during the 70s when Michael Jackson and I were teens, and I recall that Michael was a fan of Marceau. So, Michael drew from multiple sources to create his masterpieces; he excelled at putting the old in context of the new.
Janet had similar visions. In her "Alright" video she pays homage to Cab Calloway, Cyd Charise, and the Nicholas Brothers in the same way that her brother, Michael, paid homage to Fred Astaire in his "Smooth Criminal" music video.
I guess one could say LMFAO, which is made up of two of Motown founder Berry Gordy's descendants (Redfoo is Berry Gordy's son and SkyBlu is Gordy's grandson) also have that same some sampling/mixtape creativity: the ability to cut, paste, and reshape multiple pieces into something appealing and new (the art of bricolage).
As all Michael Jackson and Jackson family followers know, Gordy signed the Jackson 5 when Michael was nine years old, drawing in as well Janet during their television show period. And if you saw Spike Lee's documentary on ABC last night, "Michael Jackson: Bad 25," you were reminded of how the Motown influence shaped Michael Jackson's artistic discipline. Likewise, Motown influenced Janet.
Of PSY and his "gangnam style" dance moves, as well as his pop music style, I see it as fun, yes, but also I see it as more evidence of this postmodern age's hyper-bricolage: the synthesis of multiple multicultural pieces (a good bit of it from HipHop culture these days). PSY draws on his own experience and culture, but also the cultures of others. So, I peg his work also as more evidence of humanity's attraction to simulacra and this era's mix-it-up, small-world aesthetics.
To contact us Click HERE
Usually when I link to Huffington Post, I do so because one of its writers has written something worthy of thought or uncovered a political issue that the mainstream media has overlooked. Unfortunately, that's not why I'm linking to that website today. HuffPo is possibly large enough and powerful enough now to be called a mainstream media outlet itself, and due its reach and power, the website's big failure today regarding Oprah's breast cancer scare news is doubly troubling.
I'm speaking of the teaser HuffPo ran about Oprah at the top of its media section's main page. If you missed it, the screenshot is below this paragraph. The only thing I've added is the cloud burst identifying the teaser's wording as a fail. In big orange and black letters the teaser reads, "O Dear: Who Would Have Thought OWN Was the Least of Her Worries."
Dear Huffington Post: It's not okay to minimize a breast cancer scare. Yes, Oprah Winfrey is powerful, and yes, she is struggling to save her OWN venture and her magazine, and it's true that due to her power and influence, she often has been the punchline of jokes, but under no circumstances should anyone make light of her or anyone else's experience with a breast cancer scare. "O Dear: Who Would Have Thought OWN Was the Least of Her Worries" is too flip a teaser for such a potentially fatal healthcare outcome, scare or no scare. (I don't have the time to discuss the sexist implications with the use of "O Dear" here when applied to such a serious matter.)
If you saw and clicked the link on the media page, then you know that it linked to an article by the website's media editor, Jack Mirkinson, in which the lead is "Oprah had a recent breast cancer scare and may shut down her magazine if it starts losing money, the New York Times revealed on Monday." (The lead is problematic as well with its implication that the breast cancer scare is somehow connected to the failing magazine, but any analysis of the article would mean another blog post.)
Later in the article, Mirkinson references the New York Times story again in which its author recounts Oprah's announcement about her breast cancer scare at a conference. Mirkinson characterizes the announcement as "startling," so one has to wonder how he, as an editor of the media section, let such a callous teaser slip through. (I recall that the website had a similarly tacky headline during the Aurora, Colorado, massacre: "Horror in Aurora" was on the first page, a much too glib headline for such a tragedy due to the headline's similarity to the "Thrilla in Manila" rhyme that promoted one of Muhammad Ali's famous fights.)
The wording was also problematic for other reasons. Oprah Winfrey is not just a billionaire media mogul; she's also an African American woman and African American women are at a greater risk for breast cancer in its most deadly forms. Cancer does not discriminate, so Oprah's wealth doesn't shield her from being genuinely afraid of bad test results. (See my 2009 post on the higher incidence of fatal breast cancer among black women.).
Additionally telling for the Huffington Post, it published its poorly worded teaser just as a black woman's website posted an article about black women and breast cancer. At Madame Noire, writer Charing Balla asks "Is Racism The Reason Black Women Are More Likely To Die From Breast Cancer? Looking at the disparity between black women and white women in early detection for breast cancer and morbidity rates, the post discusses that "black women have a 41 percent higher death rate from breast cancer than their white counterparts."
When I first saw the provocative headline, I thought it was over the top, but a few minutes later I saw the Huffington Post teaser and I began to think perhaps I was too hard on the Madame Noire headline.
Knowing the facts about low diagnosis and survival rates for breast cancer among African-American women and that these low rates may be attributed, in part, to the medical community not listening to or showing racial bias toward black women, I'm even more disappointed with the Huffington Post's failure on its coverage of Oprah's breast cancer scare. With HuffPo's treatment of Oprah here, it falls into two pits: The dehumanization of celebrities and the dehumanization of the African-American female into the strong black woman stereotype to whom, some think, no consideration or concern is due.
Now I consider that Arianna Huffington needs to take a look at what her media empire is really contributing to multicultural news coverage. Her mega website appears to be losing its way despite its so-called progressive leanings toward inclusion. Over the last few years, through a syndication and aggregation model, Huff Po has turned its news coverage into a profit center promoting the commodification of humans by ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, and I see a problem.
The Huffington Post has its Black Voices, Latino Voices, women's section, and Gay Voices, but it's missing its sensitivity voice. In its rush to capitalize on identity politics and information segregation, the website has neglected to cultivate among its staff the kind of knowledge it takes to push news through such segmented channels with genuine multicultural intelligence.
The HuffPo teaser failed not only Oprah, black women, and women in general, it failed humanity as well. The website missed the chance to educate readers about a serious health crisis among black women and to show compassion. Oprah Winfrey, after all, is human first and she should be treated during her breast cancer scare with the same compassion as any other human would be treated following a cancer scare. She is a big personality, but in human frailty, we are all small.
Lagniappe: In the video below Alice Walker reads Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman." I see it as an appropriate ending for a post about a mainstream media outlet's failure to show compassion toward Oprah because as a black woman often called "powerful" and "a queen," her image carries the essence of the "strong black woman" stereotype.
Sojourner Truth's famous speech is often used to discuss Western culture's tendency to minimize the pain of black women, dehumanizing them as beasts of burden who can handle anything. This matter of the mythological black super woman who requires no protection sometimes presents a conundrum for modern black feminists/womanists seeking balance between being strong while also needing protection sometimes. It seems that in humanity's march toward greater inclusion, there remains a danger of segmenting the other into the same, overly-simplified, flat and essentialized images of older racist and sexist thinking.
To contact us Click HERE
I appreciate many of this season's singers on NBC's The Voice, but I consistently enjoy Nicholas David's vocals of Team CeeLo.
In the video above, Nicks sings Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On." I've already purchased the longer iTunes release. The Twitterverse is abuzz with comments such as Nicholas David has a black soul in his body."
As I tweeted at him (@TheFeelin) after I saw last night's show, "I do not suffer fools who attempt to sing Marvin Gaye, but U sir R no fool. I love you. :-) #smooth"
On last night's show, Bill Withers surprised him. He came to acknowledge Nick's performance of Withers's classic "Lean On Me." Nick covered the song last week.
There are no singers on The Voice that I dislike. I'd be most likely, however, to buy something by Nick, Trevin, Amanda, Melanie, or Cody. Cody cracked me up last week doing Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," but despite his theatrics, the boy can sing.
Have you ever wondered whether music conductors actually influence their orchestras? They seem important. After all, they're standing in the middle of the stage and waving their hands. But the musicians all have scores before them that tell them what to play. If you took the conductor away, could the orchestra manage on its own?
A new study aims to answer this question. Yiannis Aloimonos, of the University of Maryland, and several colleagues recruited the help of orchestral players from Ferrara, Italy. They installed a tiny infrared light at the tip of an conductor's baton. They also placed similar lights on the bows of the violinists in the orchestra. The scientists then surrounded the orchestra with infrared cameras.
To contact us Click HERE
Cheetahs are the fastest runners on the planet. Combining the resources of National Geographic and the Cincinnati Zoo, and drawing on the skills of an incredible crew, Gregory Wilson documented these amazing cats in a way that's never been done before.
Using a Phantom camera filming at 1200 frames per second while zooming beside a sprinting cheetah, the team captured every nuance of the cat's movement as it reached top speeds of 60+ miles per hour.
To contact us Click HERE
It's been awhile but Neatorama and The Presurfer are cooperating once again in a give-away. This time we are giving away 3 Zombie Survival Kit - Messenger Bags worth $39.95.
The Zombie Survival Kit Messenger Bag is available in Canvas and Military Green. The bag is designed by Donovan Santiago and measures 16" x 11-1/2" x 4-3/4" (40.6 cm x 29.2 cm x 12.1 cm).
Here's what you got to do. Go to Neatorama's NeatoShop and take a good look around. There are great gifts for any occasion. After you've done browsing the shop, send me an email and tell me you would like to have a Zombie Survival Kit Messenger Bag. Don't forget to tell me whether you want one in Canvas or one in Military Green.
Here are the rules:
Go to the NeatoShop. Take a look at all the great products they have. Send an email to webmaster@presurfer.com and tell me you want a Zombie Survival Kit - Messenger Bag. Don't forget to tell if you want it in Canvas or Military Green. Give-away runs from Monday November 26 until Thursday night November 29, 12 o'clock GMT. Winners will be picked by a True Random Number Service. Winners will be contacted by me and asked for their postal address. Neatorama will send the prizes directly to the winners.
To contact us Click HERE
I don't usually like to go on rants - but I watched a video tonight from a local news station that simply pushed me over the edge as far as what the general public thinks this magical, mystery "cloud" thing is. I know I am a techie, and live and breathe this stuff, but come on......
KXAS reports on an AT&T data center that is referred to as this newfangled thing people call "the cloud". You get on those "computer screen thingy's" and what you see on your screen 'somehow' comes from this "cloud".
Further observations:
Title of the article: "Take a peek inside the AT&T data center that's home to a big chunk of the web".
Whoa.... slow down there.... what's this 'web' thing, I thought it was about a cloud? How much exactly is a 'big chunk'?
"It's the electronic brain behind things like....."
I thought Google was our third brain? So it must be like the Wizard, behind the curtain.
"without it millions of businesses would grind to a halt. Millions of customers would be cut-off from services they can't live without"
... as they show nothing but 3 different ways to check your Facebook page.
"We wanted to show you the James Bond style door we passed through - no chance."
A prox-card to get in a cage? Man, here I've always wanted to be like James Bond and I HAVE been every day at work. I even have biometrics that I have to pass through!
From the article: ".... so secret, we can't even tell you where it is. We can say it is somewhere in North Texas"
Ok -- it's just a guess, but.... 900 Venture Dr., in Allen, Texas. Using the information from the video -- 8 generators and 5 chillers I go to this cloud thing and a map web site and type in "AT&T texas". I come upon a site in Allen Texas, turn on the satellite view and get this:
To contact us Click HERE
Last week Cisco released a really nice TechWise TV tour of their new Allen, Texas data center. First of all - Kudos to Cisco for explaining this level of detail about their new designs. Although much of what they showcase as cutting edge design methods are just that - they are things I've seen recently pop up in a number of other presentations about new data centers being built by Colo's, REIT's, etc. Extra credit to Cisco for making it a 720p video :) I always notice the brands used within the data center, and as such, here is what I saw in their video:
Panduit cabinet infrastructure products
Eaton power equipment
Omni-ID products used for RFID tracking of equipment
Trane Chillers
Dolphin Water Care - water treatment
EuroDiesel
They have created this interactive tour as well to walk through the various components of the data center.
What happens to yellow school buses retired from commission in the United States? They start a new colorful life as Chicken Buses in Guatemala. A chicken bus (Spanish: camioneta or trambilla) is a colloquial English name for a colorful, modified and decorated bus that transports goods and people between communities in Honduras and foremost in Guatemala.
The word 'chicken' refers to the fact that rural Guatemalans occasionally transport live animals on such buses.
To contact us Click HERE The human skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest organ of the integumentary system. The skin has multiple layers of ectodermal tissue and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Human skin is similar to that of most other mammals, except that it is not protected by a pelt. There are two general types of skin, hairy and glabrous skin.
To contact us Click HERE On the night of April 14th, 1912, the Titanic collided with a massive iceberg and sank. Now, one hundred years later, a photo that may the only surviving print showing that infamous chunk of ice is going up for auction. It's expected to fetch up to $10,000. The photograph was snapped by Captain W. F. Wood of a ship named S. S. Etonian, two days prior to the event.
Although there are no known photos of the actual iceberg taken on the day of the tragedy, there are a number of reasons that have led experts to believe the photo is of that very iceberg.
To contact us Click HERE
I don't usually like to go on rants - but I watched a video tonight from a local news station that simply pushed me over the edge as far as what the general public thinks this magical, mystery "cloud" thing is. I know I am a techie, and live and breathe this stuff, but come on......
KXAS reports on an AT&T data center that is referred to as this newfangled thing people call "the cloud". You get on those "computer screen thingy's" and what you see on your screen 'somehow' comes from this "cloud".
Further observations:
Title of the article: "Take a peek inside the AT&T data center that's home to a big chunk of the web".
Whoa.... slow down there.... what's this 'web' thing, I thought it was about a cloud? How much exactly is a 'big chunk'?
"It's the electronic brain behind things like....."
I thought Google was our third brain? So it must be like the Wizard, behind the curtain.
"without it millions of businesses would grind to a halt. Millions of customers would be cut-off from services they can't live without"
... as they show nothing but 3 different ways to check your Facebook page.
"We wanted to show you the James Bond style door we passed through - no chance."
A prox-card to get in a cage? Man, here I've always wanted to be like James Bond and I HAVE been every day at work. I even have biometrics that I have to pass through!
From the article: ".... so secret, we can't even tell you where it is. We can say it is somewhere in North Texas"
Ok -- it's just a guess, but.... 900 Venture Dr., in Allen, Texas. Using the information from the video -- 8 generators and 5 chillers I go to this cloud thing and a map web site and type in "AT&T texas". I come upon a site in Allen Texas, turn on the satellite view and get this:
To contact us Click HERE
Last week Cisco released a really nice TechWise TV tour of their new Allen, Texas data center. First of all - Kudos to Cisco for explaining this level of detail about their new designs. Although much of what they showcase as cutting edge design methods are just that - they are things I've seen recently pop up in a number of other presentations about new data centers being built by Colo's, REIT's, etc. Extra credit to Cisco for making it a 720p video :) I always notice the brands used within the data center, and as such, here is what I saw in their video:
Panduit cabinet infrastructure products
Eaton power equipment
Omni-ID products used for RFID tracking of equipment
Trane Chillers
Dolphin Water Care - water treatment
EuroDiesel
They have created this interactive tour as well to walk through the various components of the data center.
To contact us Click HERE The Trailing of the Sheep is an annual October festival and parade in Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey, Idaho. It is held each fall to move the flocks off the mountain to their winter grazing homes. It is intended as a celebration of the history and tradition of sheep husbandry in the Western United States.
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival has been held in Sun Valley every year since 1997 but has roots which are far older than that. This has been sheep land since John Hailey first brought his flock here in the 1860s. Land of the Basques, who were brought here in droves to work in the hills as herders and never went back home.
Scientific discovery may require reason, rationality, and a firm handle on the facts, but science history has its share of myths, urban legends, and tall tales. Thought experiments are misinterpreted as real experiments; the scientist with the most interesting story gets the credit for a discovery; misunderstandings are repeated from science teacher to science student.
Although these tales of heroic (and fantastically lucky) scientists may be exaggerated, however, the scientific discoveries and theories involved are all very real.
To contact us Click HERE 100,000 Stars is an interactive visualization of the stellar neighborhood. It shows the real location of over 100,000 nearby stars. Zooming in reveals 87 major named stars and our solar system. The galaxy view is an artist's rendition.
Click on the button in the upper left corner for a tour. 100,000 Stars was created for the Google Chrome web browser but it works in my Firefox browser too. Doesn't work in Internet Explorer.
To contact us Click HERE
I don't usually like to go on rants - but I watched a video tonight from a local news station that simply pushed me over the edge as far as what the general public thinks this magical, mystery "cloud" thing is. I know I am a techie, and live and breathe this stuff, but come on......
KXAS reports on an AT&T data center that is referred to as this newfangled thing people call "the cloud". You get on those "computer screen thingy's" and what you see on your screen 'somehow' comes from this "cloud".
Further observations:
Title of the article: "Take a peek inside the AT&T data center that's home to a big chunk of the web".
Whoa.... slow down there.... what's this 'web' thing, I thought it was about a cloud? How much exactly is a 'big chunk'?
"It's the electronic brain behind things like....."
I thought Google was our third brain? So it must be like the Wizard, behind the curtain.
"without it millions of businesses would grind to a halt. Millions of customers would be cut-off from services they can't live without"
... as they show nothing but 3 different ways to check your Facebook page.
"We wanted to show you the James Bond style door we passed through - no chance."
A prox-card to get in a cage? Man, here I've always wanted to be like James Bond and I HAVE been every day at work. I even have biometrics that I have to pass through!
From the article: ".... so secret, we can't even tell you where it is. We can say it is somewhere in North Texas"
Ok -- it's just a guess, but.... 900 Venture Dr., in Allen, Texas. Using the information from the video -- 8 generators and 5 chillers I go to this cloud thing and a map web site and type in "AT&T texas". I come upon a site in Allen Texas, turn on the satellite view and get this:
To contact us Click HERE
Last week Cisco released a really nice TechWise TV tour of their new Allen, Texas data center. First of all - Kudos to Cisco for explaining this level of detail about their new designs. Although much of what they showcase as cutting edge design methods are just that - they are things I've seen recently pop up in a number of other presentations about new data centers being built by Colo's, REIT's, etc. Extra credit to Cisco for making it a 720p video :) I always notice the brands used within the data center, and as such, here is what I saw in their video:
Panduit cabinet infrastructure products
Eaton power equipment
Omni-ID products used for RFID tracking of equipment
Trane Chillers
Dolphin Water Care - water treatment
EuroDiesel
They have created this interactive tour as well to walk through the various components of the data center.
There's no underestimating the importance of facial hair in the world of technology. Look no further than the research of a man named Tamir Kahson, who in 2004 discovered the inseparable link between beards and programming languages.
As Kahson so artfully demonstrated, a programming language is only as successful as the beard on the face of the man who designed it. Clearly, women are exempt the laws of tech facial hair. In Silicon Valley, the beard is everything. But not just any beard. You must carefully grow your facial hair to suit your particular role in the tech ecosystem. Here's Wired's Field Guide to Facial Topiary in the Tech Workplace.
A spite house is a building constructed or modified to irritate neighbors or other parties with land stakes. Spite houses often serve as obstructions, blocking out light or access to neighboring buildings, or as flamboyant symbols of defiance. Because long-term occupation is at best a secondary consideration, spite houses frequently sport strange and impractical structures.
To contact us Click HERE
It's been awhile but Neatorama and The Presurfer are cooperating once again in a give-away. This time we are giving away 3 Zombie Survival Kit - Messenger Bags worth $39.95.
The Zombie Survival Kit - Messenger Bag comes with an exclusive design. It's a raw edge cotton canvas bag with plenty of storage capacity and adjustable strap. Perfect for back to school and every day use. The bag is enzyme-washed and pigment-dyed. It has an adjustable cotton webbing shoulder strap with antique brass slider. Side pockets with magnetic snap closure. Exterior and interior zippered pockets. D-ring keyring and a rugged look that gets better as it weathers.
The Zombie Survival Kit Messenger Bag is available in Canvas and Military Green. The bag is designed by Donovan Santiago and measures 16" x 11-1/2" x 4-3/4" (40.6 cm x 29.2 cm x 12.1 cm).
Here's what you got to do. Go to Neatorama's NeatoShop and take a good look around. There are great gifts for any occasion. After you've done browsing the shop, send me an email and tell me you would like to have a Zombie Survival Kit Messenger Bag. Don't forget to tell me whether you want one in Canvas or one in Military Green.
Here are the rules:
Go to the NeatoShop. Take a look at all the great products they have. Send an email to webmaster@presurfer.com and tell me you want a Zombie Survival Kit - Messenger Bag. Don't forget to tell if you want it in Canvas or Military Green. Give-away runs from Monday November 26 until Thursday night November 29, 12 o'clock GMT. Winners will be picked by a True Random Number Service. Winners will be contacted by me and asked for their postal address. Neatorama will send the prizes directly to the winners.
To contact us Click HERE
I saw "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" in October and I had my doubts about how much of it was true as I was sitting in my seat at the Public Theater in New York. (Which I noted in my review.)
It was clear to me that Mike Daisey was delivering a performance with his monologue. The way his voice would rise and fall, the quotes and scenarios that seemed too perfect, it smacked of acting, not delivering a speech. And that made me wonder how much of his story about traveling to China and talking to workers who assemble Apple products was embellished. After all, we're paying $80 for a ticket and we want drama, emotion, conflict.
I also couldn't believe that the workers at the Foxconn plant were so eager to talk to him, through an interpreter. China is, after all, a repressive, totalitarian country. Daisey doesn't speak the language, doesn't know the culture. But as I said at the time, he's a performer not a journalist and he's allowed to take artistic liberties. Despite my reservations, I found the piece compelling.
So I wasn't surprised when the radio program This American Life, which had aired an excerpt of Daisey's show, announced last week that parts of it were fabricated. Quotes and some of the things Daisey said he saw on his trip to China were made up. I can't say that I felt let down because I wasn't totally taken in by it in the first place.
But then I found my program from the Public Theater and saw something that I'd forgotten. It says, in big, bold letters, that The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs "is a work of nonfiction." Which clearly, it wasn't. That made me mad. He willfully misled his audience. And it wasn't necessary. With a little more effort and ingenuity, he could have written just as compelling a piece but made it truthful. On top of everything, he's guilty of lazy writing.
Then today, reading Daisey's response made me even angrier. Instead of taking responsibility it appears that he's trying to turn the tables, to shift the discussion from his work in a way that I find offensive.
He seems to think that by focusing on the deceptions in his monologue, we're being drawn away from the larger and more important question of how workers in China are treated. But he couldn't leave it at that. He chastises us for what he perceives as our moral failing. "If you think this story is bigger than that story, something is wrong with your priorities."
Well excuse me but I'm capable of doing both - being concerned about the conditions for workers AND the fallout from the lies in Daisey's monologue. I really resent his sanctimonious attitude. I'm not the one who sat in front of an audience, told them in the program that what they were about to hear was true and then lied.
I guess now, I feel less inclined to give Mike Daisey any more of my time or money.
If you want to learn something about Apple's manufacturing plants in China or the company's history and culture, I recommend stories from The New York Times and Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. Both are authoritative and insightful.
To contact us Click HERE President Obama finally had his "We Shall Overcome" moment today when he endorsed the right of gay and lesbian Americans to marry the person they love.
Congratulations, Mr. President. It's about time.
Forty-seven years ago, President Lyndon Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress to introduce the Voting Rights Act. He talked about the efforts of black Americans to secure for themselves "the full blessings of American life." He said, "Their cause must be our cause, too." He even invoked the words of the civil-rights anthem, "And we shall overcome."
The president's remarks today saying that he believes same-sex couples should be able to get married were not as dramatic or momentous as Johnson's a generation earlier. Made during an interview with ABC News, they lacked the eloquence of a prepared speech.
There was no mention of repealing the odious Defense of Marriage Act. He didn't vow to fight for same-sex marriage. His deference to the states on the matter was a bit troubling. (States' rights, did that not ring a bell for anyone at the White House?)
Yet despite all of that his words, based on his own experiences and his religious convictions, sounded sincere. I like that he mentioned the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. And they are powerful for the way they frame the debate. The president finally figured out how to use the White House as a bully pulpit.
It's practically impossible today for any straight American to say that they don't know a gay person. They are our friends, our family, our teachers, our colleagues, our loved ones, our neighbors.
As President Obama said, they are members of his staff, people in committed relationships. They are soldiers and sailors fighting on his behalf. Their children are friends with his daughters. The president of the United States made the issue personal. There are people in his life who are gay and lesbian. And he doesn't see any reason why they should not be allowed to get married.
Anyone - and by that I mean my fellow straight Americans - who cares about this country becoming a more equal place for all of its citizens has a stake in this. The president's comments don't change anything but they push homophobia and anti-gay rhetoric a little further to the fringes of American society - where they belong.
A couple of years ago, Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times that as more people have come out of the closet, we've learned about those in our lives who are gay. "It is hard to deny our own fundamental rights to those we know, admire and love."
I believe that with all of my heart. Today, I'm proud that my president believes it as well and was not hesitant to say it. Their cause must be our cause, too. That statement rings as true today as it did in 1965.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
On her show today, Sunday, Nov. 18, MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry featured Sean Pica, the executive director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. His organization provides educational services to men and women in four New York state prisons, according to MHP's MSNBC notes.
MHP said in the introduction to the video segment that "the national rate of recidivism within three years of an inmates release is more than 40 percent, but for the 260 Hudson Link graduates, that number is zero."
In the video, Sean Pica, who went into prison witho only a ninth grade education, talks about his 16 years in prison and how helping his fellow inmates learn to read changed his life. Sensing a purpose, he earned his GED as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees while in prison. The video also features other former inmates who have completed the program and turned their lives around. Pica said education transforms inmates and that most of them enter the social service field and help others after they are released; they begin to give back to their communities.
I saw a similar report on CBS's 60 Minutes a while back. The prisoners in the program featured on that program were receiving a liberal arts education through the Bard Prison Initiative. One prisoner in that report said a liberal arts education did more for prisoners than vocational training because a liberal arts education teaches them how to think: "That's a problem that a lot of men in prison have that they're not thinking, you know, they're reacting. A vocational education might give you the skills to have a job, but it's not going to give you the skills to have a life," he said.
I suppose NPR's producers for Tell Me More are right when they call Marvin Gaye's classic Trouble Man movie score forgotten, but I didn't forget this masterpiece. As my children will tell you, they've heard it enough on long car trips. Nonetheless, I'm glad that Celeste Headlee reported on the 40th anniversary of the score on NPR because some younger folk may not be familiar with this side of Marvin Gaye.
Headlee began her report with the following information:
Forty years ago, "Trouble Man" debuted in movie theaters. It starred Robert Hooks as a tough guy hustler named Mr. T - not the one from the TV show "The A-Team." Mr. T in this film, makes his living sticking out his neck to help those who can, well, pay him and those who just need his expertise to discreetly solve their problems.
The film fell well short of blockbuster status. It was even included on one critic's list of the 50 worst films of all time. But it did leave quite a legacy in at least one aspect, the music. That's because the filmmakers made an inspired choice to hire Motown legend Marvin Gaye to write the score.
It's true. I saw the movie and all I remember is the music.
Read the transcript at NPR's website or listen to the audio here: It's posted at the top of this post. If I were you, I'd listen. :-)
Throw a rock in New Orleans and you're likely to hit a singer/musician, and apparently that's true even if the rock taps the city's mayor, Mitch Landrieu. He did his part Tuesday night at the city's Pay It Forward benefit for survivors of Hurricane Sandy. The Times Picayune reports:
During the first of three hours of music at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 20, Landrieu sang “This City," an ode to New Orleans resiliency Steve Earle composed for HBO’s “Treme.” The mayor, for whom musical theater was at one point a career ambition, was accompanied by an understated, appropriately somber brass ensemble and professional singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill. But he carried the tune, acquitting himself on such lyrics as “this city won't wash away, this city won't ever drown.” He earned one of the night's loudest and longest cheers.
Landrieu also plays the trumpet and has been participating in Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews's Horns for Schools project.
The Pay It Forward foundation was established in 2011, according to the Times Picayune, to help Mississippi flood victims and it's been extended to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. New Orleans residents continue to be grateful for all the help that came its way from their fellow Americans and friends abroad. I wish I had been there last night. Read more at NOLA.com.
To contact us Click HERE Real-life "Olivia Pope" inspiration, Judy Smith, has been hired by Jill Kelley of the Petraeus fiasco, reports AdAge. I came across this tidbit while reading Margaret Colson's column at Bloomberg in which she discusses the differences between how the media treats women during such media spectacles and how the media treats men.
Of Kelley hiring Smith, Colson observes that both Kelley and Paula Broadwell have hired crisis managers and notes that with the star of this real-life scandal, General Petraeus, remaining well under the radar, the two women have drawn the eyes: "The less the news media can find out about the star of the show, the more they will focus on the bit players," writes Colson. Her column also indicates that she's being criticized for writing about the women.
From what I can see, Judy Smith must have her hands full with Kelley. Sources report that Kelley, the Florida "socialite" who drew in an FBI agent to investigate the anonymous "harassing" emails that turned out to come from Broadwell, is in deep financial trouble and has also been under the false impression that she has diplomatic immunity.
Given that her husband is a cancer surgeon, the pair must have been living far above their means to land in so much debt, which begs the question, How can she afford to hire Judy Smith? A book deal must be in the making here for her.
In this 1989 music video from Janet Jackson for her hit "Alright," you will see two of today's popular dance moves, PSY's "gangnam style" dance and LMFAO's "shuffle" from Party Rock. Watch and see.
And in this 1955 video of Bill Bailey tap dancing, you'll see the move associated with Janet's brother, the late, great Michael Jackson, "the Moonwalk."
As Michael fans know, the King of Pop watched a lot of musicals, as did many of us born around the same time as he, but unlike the rest of us, Michael was a gifted dancer and creative genius. In the dance moves of classic artists, he saw what he could re-purpose for his own musical productions and theatrical vision. I think he studied mime, as well.
I had a mime class as a teen and know that the Moonwalk is also part of that discipline. Furthermore, the great French mime Marcel Marceau was popular during the 70s when Michael Jackson and I were teens, and I recall that Michael was a fan of Marceau. So, Michael drew from multiple sources to create his masterpieces; he excelled at putting the old in context of the new.
Janet had similar visions. In her "Alright" video she pays homage to Cab Calloway, Cyd Charise, and the Nicholas Brothers in the same way that her brother, Michael, paid homage to Fred Astaire in his "Smooth Criminal" music video.
I guess one could say LMFAO, which is made up of two of Motown founder Berry Gordy's descendants (Redfoo is Berry Gordy's son and SkyBlu is Gordy's grandson) also have that same some sampling/mixtape creativity: the ability to cut, paste, and reshape multiple pieces into something appealing and new (the art of bricolage).
As all Michael Jackson and Jackson family followers know, Gordy signed the Jackson 5 when Michael was nine years old, drawing in as well Janet during their television show period. And if you saw Spike Lee's documentary on ABC last night, "Michael Jackson: Bad 25," you were reminded of how the Motown influence shaped Michael Jackson's artistic discipline. Likewise, Motown influenced Janet.
Of PSY and his "gangnam style" dance moves, as well as his pop music style, I see it as fun, yes, but also I see it as more evidence of this postmodern age's hyper-bricolage: the synthesis of multiple multicultural pieces (a good bit of it from HipHop culture these days). PSY draws on his own experience and culture, but also the cultures of others. So, I peg his work also as more evidence of humanity's attraction to simulacra and this era's mix-it-up, small-world aesthetics.
I suppose NPR's producers for Tell Me More are right when they call Marvin Gaye's classic Trouble Man movie score forgotten, but I didn't forget this masterpiece. As my children will tell you, they've heard it enough on long car trips. Nonetheless, I'm glad that Celeste Headlee reported on the 40th anniversary of the score on NPR because some younger folk may not be familiar with this side of Marvin Gaye.
Headlee began her report with the following information:
Forty years ago, "Trouble Man" debuted in movie theaters. It starred Robert Hooks as a tough guy hustler named Mr. T - not the one from the TV show "The A-Team." Mr. T in this film, makes his living sticking out his neck to help those who can, well, pay him and those who just need his expertise to discreetly solve their problems.
The film fell well short of blockbuster status. It was even included on one critic's list of the 50 worst films of all time. But it did leave quite a legacy in at least one aspect, the music. That's because the filmmakers made an inspired choice to hire Motown legend Marvin Gaye to write the score.
It's true. I saw the movie and all I remember is the music.
Read the transcript at NPR's website or listen to the audio here: It's posted at the top of this post. If I were you, I'd listen. :-)
Throw a rock in New Orleans and you're likely to hit a singer/musician, and apparently that's true even if the rock taps the city's mayor, Mitch Landrieu. He did his part Tuesday night at the city's Pay It Forward benefit for survivors of Hurricane Sandy. The Times Picayune reports:
During the first of three hours of music at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 20, Landrieu sang “This City," an ode to New Orleans resiliency Steve Earle composed for HBO’s “Treme.” The mayor, for whom musical theater was at one point a career ambition, was accompanied by an understated, appropriately somber brass ensemble and professional singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill. But he carried the tune, acquitting himself on such lyrics as “this city won't wash away, this city won't ever drown.” He earned one of the night's loudest and longest cheers.
Landrieu also plays the trumpet and has been participating in Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews's Horns for Schools project.
The Pay It Forward foundation was established in 2011, according to the Times Picayune, to help Mississippi flood victims and it's been extended to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. New Orleans residents continue to be grateful for all the help that came its way from their fellow Americans and friends abroad. I wish I had been there last night. Read more at NOLA.com.
To contact us Click HERE Real-life "Olivia Pope" inspiration, Judy Smith, has been hired by Jill Kelley of the Petraeus fiasco, reports AdAge. I came across this tidbit while reading Margaret Colson's column at Bloomberg in which she discusses the differences between how the media treats women during such media spectacles and how the media treats men.
Of Kelley hiring Smith, Colson observes that both Kelley and Paula Broadwell have hired crisis managers and notes that with the star of this real-life scandal, General Petraeus, remaining well under the radar, the two women have drawn the eyes: "The less the news media can find out about the star of the show, the more they will focus on the bit players," writes Colson. Her column also indicates that she's being criticized for writing about the women.
From what I can see, Judy Smith must have her hands full with Kelley. Sources report that Kelley, the Florida "socialite" who drew in an FBI agent to investigate the anonymous "harassing" emails that turned out to come from Broadwell, is in deep financial trouble and has also been under the false impression that she has diplomatic immunity.
Given that her husband is a cancer surgeon, the pair must have been living far above their means to land in so much debt, which begs the question, How can she afford to hire Judy Smith? A book deal must be in the making here for her.
In this 1989 music video from Janet Jackson for her hit "Alright," you will see two of today's popular dance moves, PSY's "gangnam style" dance and LMFAO's "shuffle" from Party Rock. Watch and see.
And in this 1955 video of Bill Bailey tap dancing, you'll see the move associated with Janet's brother, the late, great Michael Jackson, "the Moonwalk."
As Michael fans know, the King of Pop watched a lot of musicals, as did many of us born around the same time as he, but unlike the rest of us, Michael was a gifted dancer and creative genius. In the dance moves of classic artists, he saw what he could re-purpose for his own musical productions and theatrical vision. I think he studied mime, as well.
I had a mime class as a teen and know that the Moonwalk is also part of that discipline. Furthermore, the great French mime Marcel Marceau was popular during the 70s when Michael Jackson and I were teens, and I recall that Michael was a fan of Marceau. So, Michael drew from multiple sources to create his masterpieces; he excelled at putting the old in context of the new.
Janet had similar visions. In her "Alright" video she pays homage to Cab Calloway, Cyd Charise, and the Nicholas Brothers in the same way that her brother, Michael, paid homage to Fred Astaire in his "Smooth Criminal" music video.
I guess one could say LMFAO, which is made up of two of Motown founder Berry Gordy's descendants (Redfoo is Berry Gordy's son and SkyBlu is Gordy's grandson) also have that same some sampling/mixtape creativity: the ability to cut, paste, and reshape multiple pieces into something appealing and new (the art of bricolage).
As all Michael Jackson and Jackson family followers know, Gordy signed the Jackson 5 when Michael was nine years old, drawing in as well Janet during their television show period. And if you saw Spike Lee's documentary on ABC last night, "Michael Jackson: Bad 25," you were reminded of how the Motown influence shaped Michael Jackson's artistic discipline. Likewise, Motown influenced Janet.
Of PSY and his "gangnam style" dance moves, as well as his pop music style, I see it as fun, yes, but also I see it as more evidence of this postmodern age's hyper-bricolage: the synthesis of multiple multicultural pieces (a good bit of it from HipHop culture these days). PSY draws on his own experience and culture, but also the cultures of others. So, I peg his work also as more evidence of humanity's attraction to simulacra and this era's mix-it-up, small-world aesthetics.
To contact us Click HERE I don't know that much about Matt Kibbe, except that he is an ardent Tea Party activist. I dislike the Tea Party and oppose the austerity measures its policies recommend.
I do know, however, quite a bit about Rush Limbaugh and it's no secret that I don't like him and think he's a racist and enema bag. So, when I hear that Limbaugh and Matt Kibbe are telling their fellow conservatives that their only mistake in 2012 presidential campaign was backing Mitt Romney and that the close popular vote is evidence that the GOP should become more conservative rather than more inclusive, I recall a quote from Napoleon Bonaparte: "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
So, to all you progressive strategists who get paid to give your thoughts about the GOP's failure, "Shhhhh!" If the GOP goes the way of the dinosaurs, so be it. I can only hope that another, more reasonable party will arise to replace the Republican Party.
To contact us Click HERE Premiums are certainly not exuberant especially on the Sprott funds where they are downright thin by historical measures.
The metals were hit about the time that Bernanke started speaking. The short selling trading desks like to key off certain events in order to try and generate a little downside panic and some quick profits from a wash and rinse.
A strong and honestly efficient market with specialists who manage such irregularities would minimize the effectiveness of such efforts, and failing that, which always happens under any system of self-governance, official regulation would prohibit it. Unfortunately the US has neither, and no prospects of any near term change for the better.
This is how it is when markets are left to the machinations of insiders by the abrogation of justice. I think the paper veneer is covering a harder core of bullion held by stronger and stronger hands. Shortfalls develop and leverage increases, and at some point that tired old strategy fails badly, and then we have fireworks to the upside.
This lack of small investor enthusiasm may be bullish for more gains in bullion, after some short term shenanigans by the price fixers and market manipulators, who act largely unaffected by the regulators.
Nov. 27 Comex December gold options expiry Nov. 27 Comex December silver options expiry Nov. 27 Comex December copper options expiry Nov. 28 Comex December miNY gold futures last trading day Nov. 28 Comex November copper futures last trading day Nov. 28 Comex December E-mini copper futures last trading day Nov. 28 Comex December miNY silver futures last trading day Nov. 30 Comex December gold futures first notice day Nov. 30 Comex December silver futures first notice day Nov. 30 Comex December copper futures first notice day Nov. 30 Nymex December palladium futures first notice day Dec. 21 Nymex January 2013 platinum options expiry Dec. 26 Comex January 2013 copper options expiry Dec. 27 Comex December gold futures last trading day Dec. 27 Comex December silver futures last trading day Dec. 27 Comex December copper futures last trading day Dec. 27 Comex December E-micro gold futures last trading day Dec. 27 Comex January 2013 E-mini copper futures last trading day Dec. 28 Nymex December palladium futures last trading day Dec. 30 Nymex January 2013 platinum futures first notice day Dec. 31 Comex January 2013 silver futures first notice day Dec. 31 Comex January 2013 copper futures first notice day
To contact us Click HERE Mark Melin has been doing an excellent job of covering the MF Global scandal and cover up. With a few notable exceptions like Forbes, the mainstream media has been silently complicit. Investigative journalism is far less safely profitable than staged debates amongst commercially endorsed opinionators. The news gives way to spectacle.
This is an excellent example of the credibility trap. That blatant theft occurred and no indictments and prosecutions have resulted seems so unbelievable that most tend to ignore it. You don't understand, it takes time, it takes time. Yes, to cover things up, to kick the can down the road, and hope that the people lose interest.
And yet this is just one instance of the distortions that are plaguing the global commodity and financial assets markets. The long delayed investigation into the silver market is most likely another.
The most urgent problem facing the US and the Western nations is not a 'fiscal cliff.' It is the pernicious corruption in the financial system that has captured the politicians of both parties, and distorted the public conversation through influence in the media and directing the opinions and buying the research of 'experts' through the power of big money. The people are held hostage in a Bastille of deceit.
What a condemnation it is, that so few love the truth for itself, and willfully turn from it, being led in their choice by the lies that favor their particular flavor of greed, and rotten self-interest.
New Twists In MF Global Mystery Focus on CFTC By Mark Melin
A delay in a Congressional report set to outline details surrounding MF Global findings was announced at the annual Futures Industry Association (FIA) conference just as insight regarding likely criminal behavior that damaged commodity market integrity moves into plain view.
Over the past weeks Dan Roth, president of the National Futures Association, a primary front line regulator for the futures industry characterized the actions leading to missing MF Global funds as theft. Mr. Roth has pointed to the fact it matters not if the illegal funds were transferred to the benefit of an individual, as in the case of PFG, or if the illegal transfer of customer assets was due to meet operational needs of the company.
Any such transfer is considered legally theft. In fact, could the argument be made that Russ Wassendorf, founder of PFG, had transferred customer funds to support ongoing company operations? If Mr. Corzine is allowed to transfer customer funds to cover firm operational expenses, is Mr. Wasdendorf allowed the same courtesy?
While the primary focus is on the initial criminal acts leading up to the firm's bankruptcy, the potential cover-up that occurred afterwards, like Watergate, could be more troubling.
Highlighted are two points of potential criminality: the initial phase, when illegal money transfers were hidden by false segregation reports; and the cover-up phase, where the CFTC was in possession of potentially criminal information and knowingly withheld this information. CFTC's inaction and withholding of critical information, particularly in court, resulted in significant damage to the integrity of the segregated account.
The Initial Offense: The first phase of likely criminality has been documented by both regulators and industry participants:
On Wednesday, October 26 2011 MF Global was given clear instructions from regulators not to transfer assets.
After this order, MF Global transferred assets from customer accounts so it could cover its in house trading losses.
The illegal asset transfers were initially hidden by false segregation reports submitted to regulators. These segregation reports were known to be false on Sunday, October 30, 2012, as the customer shortfall was the reason for inaction to sell MF Global to Interactive Brokers.
The Cover-up Offense: The second phase, the little known aspect of misrepresentations that diminished the rights of MF Global customers and damaged market integrity, occurred after the now infamous Halloween weekend of 2011:
On Tuesday, November 1, 2012, MF Global went to court with the express purpose of providing testimony relative to the bankruptcy of MF Global holdings. In testimony, an MF Global legal representative represented that funds were accounted for, but did not mention known contradictory information, some of which is considered criminal in nature.
This testimony was delivered to the court while MF Global and the CFTC where acknowledged to possess information that a shortfall in customer assets existed, the asset transfer occurred after MF Global was given orders by a regulator not to transfer assets and reports provided by MF Global contained false information.
Perhaps most egregious, a CFTC lawyer, in attendance on directions from Washington, D.C. did not object when the agency possessed information contradictory to MF Global's testimony.
Had the CFTC objected or otherwise reported to the court at any time what it is documented to have been known, a fraud investigation would have likely ensued, MF Global customers would have retained their rights and the segregated account would have been defended.
(For details and documentation, see the article below entitled "Who Knew What and When Did They Know It?")
Delay in Congressional Report on MF Global Announced
The keynote speaker at the FIA event was Congressman Randy Neugebauer. Congressman Neugebauer is Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which held critical MF Global hearings over the past year. The goal of the Congressional report, like the Giddens Trustee report, is not to identity potential criminal behavior but rather spotlight areas of concern.
It was set to release the report on the one year anniversary of the MF Global affair, but has been delayed...
"The MF Global affair is not complicated," was one message communicated to Congressman Neugebauer. "Are you aware of what occurred in court on November 1, 2011 and what the CFTC did NOT do?" was another question asked by this reporter, to which Congressman Neugebauer responded "MF Global had weak risk controls." Congressman Neugebauer is Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which held critical MF Global hearings over the past year.
"The significant point is MF Global willfully ignored CME's order not to transfer customer funds," notes attorney and Customer Commodity Collation President James Koutoulas. "If the transfers were proper, why wouldn't they just ask for CME Group's approval?" The CME Group was MF Global Designated Self Regulatory Organization (DRSO) and had front line regulatory authority over MF Global.
Real-life "Olivia Pope" inspiration, Judy Smith, has been hired by Jill Kelley of the Petraeus fiasco, reports AdAge. I came across this tidbit while reading Margaret Colson's column at Bloomberg in which she discusses the differences between how the media treats women during such media spectacles and how the media treats men. 
image credit
image credit
image credit
image credit
image credit
I also couldn't believe that the workers at the Foxconn plant were so eager to talk to him, through an interpreter. China is, after all, a repressive, totalitarian country. Daisey doesn't speak the language, doesn't know the culture. But as I said at the time, he's a performer not a journalist and he's allowed to take artistic liberties. Despite my reservations, I found the piece compelling.
Mark Melin has been doing an excellent job of covering the MF Global scandal and cover up. With a few notable exceptions like Forbes, the mainstream media has been silently complicit. Investigative journalism is far less safely profitable than staged debates amongst commercially endorsed opinionators. The news gives way to spectacle.
Delay in Congressional Report on MF Global Announced