The Yes Men Strike Manhattan

New York Times Special Edition Video News Release – Nov. 12, 2008 from H Schweppes on Vimeo.

Was that unfit for print?

When the Treadmill Just Doesn’t Thrill

In the spirit of bringing the most ridiculous things into a post:

If you’re anything like me, you only made it through 15 seconds of the video. Because honestly, you can get the idea from the first 2 seconds. This is the most unnecessary, meaningless, superfluous, weirdest invention in a long time.

A treadmill that moves? Really? It doesn’t take much common sense to realize that that’s the same thing as just running. So why would anybody pay to go running outside?

I don’t believe anyone ever will. Making this one of the most useless creations ever…runners should be ashamed.

*After some research and googling, I don’t see this for sale anywhere. Breathe a sigh of relief*

-Ryan

Today’s Eye Candy

From the BBC:

German cyclists Robert Bartko (R) and his teammate Iljo Keisse enjoy a victory beer in Munich after winning a six-day tournament.

An Indonesian man affected by a mud volcano, which erupted in May 2006 displacing tens of thousands of people, takes part in a protest in Jakarta demanding government compensation.

People in Japan continue to weather the economic storm, as share prices fall amid concerns over the weak global economy.

A wooden sculpture by Arne Quinze is completed outside the Flemish Parliament in Brussels.

From The Guardian:

London, UK: A man dressed as a city gentleman walks a tightrope

New York, US: A man walks past an American flag

Gretna Green, UK: Starlings flock over the town

Closed Wide Web

Apparently, down in Australia there is a movement to try and censor the internet.  As it already happens in China, it’s surprising to see it happen in a democratic country, compared to communism.  The idea is that pornography and online gambling would be barred, along with acquiring files illegally.  I’m glad that this is just a campaign promise by a party hoping to get into power and not a law being tossed about in the land down under.  The internet is unique and interesting because it is a free exchange of ideas from anyone around the globe.  The very fact that I can post this web blog and say what I want (for the most part, WordPress does have a TOS) is amazing.  If I wanted to say things that were hateful or distasteful, I could buy my own domain and host it there.  The simple matter of the fact is this : if people want to access the content that would be restricted will find some way to do it, so it only serves as a waste of the Government’s time and the tax payer’s money.  Censorship should not be tolerated in any country, communist or not.

Emotional Robots

Most people think of humanoid robots and they’re flooded with images of The Terminator.  A walking machine of death that feels no emotions, no remorse, and can’t be stopped.  For some people, there is a fear that this is what we as humans will create.  Perhaps we have taken a step in that direction.  Except this robot is able to change facial features and show human emotions.  Now, instead of a stoic robotic killing machine mowing us down, there’ll be a smile plastered on that face.

Technology and robotics has been moving in a direction to create artificial life.  But for what purpose?  Will we suddenly understand more about ourselves if we can create it from scratch?  Or are we just looking for invincible war machines to do our hard labor.  Whatever the case, I hope I’m not around to see it.

McDonalds Minus the McDonalds

Over in Japan, it looks like McDonalds has decided to minimalize by taking out basically the whole menu and reducing down to just one thing.

That ONE THING is none other than…the quarter pounder??

Yeah. So it’s like basically just a burger stop. Only it’s a Quarter Pounder shop. Completely owned by McDonalds. Same thing you would buy at a regular MCeeDees, but now they’ve just cut out all your other choices. Does it make sense?

Well it’s definitely different. And in a way, I think that it can actually be a success. As long as a new place doesn’t pop up for each value meal on the menu, it’s cool…like a McDonalds express.

No advertising. No clown. No toys. Just the Quarter Pounder.

I’m lovin’ it.

-Ryan

‘British’ Considered Offensive?

A Welsh council bans the term ‘British’ and ranks it with ‘negroes’ as not to offend Scots, Welsh, or minorities. Creepy and much too PC, usually when I think of ‘British’ I think of English though (not Scottish or Welsh).

According to the BBC

In a section on what words or phrases not to use to avoid causing offence, the leaflet solemnly informs the council’s 9,000 workers: ‘The idea of “British” implies a false sense of unity – many Scots, Welsh and Irish resist being called British and the land denoted by the term contains a wide variety of cultures, languages and religions.’

But the article may have a point. I ask my Scottish friend if he considers himself British.

“It’s hard to say, Britain is some made up union of 3 nations, to the outside world (America especially ) British is English and vice verca so I can never feel I am truly a ‘Briton’, I’m 100% a Scot, at the end of the day I’m pro independence. If Ireland can go it alone then we can. “

Inescapable Economics

In tough economic times, people usually turn to forms of entertainment to take their minds off of the looming shadow of the issues.   It was great for this region to have the Phillies win the World Series.  There was celebration, kindness, and a sense of togetherness brought by the simple nature that a sporting team won a championship.  Having only been removed a couple of weeks from the deed, the joy is already starting to disappear, becoming only a memory.  With football season rolling on, people look forward to one of the biggest celebrations of the year, Super Bowl Sunday.  Sitting down with friends and family, enjoying the game and debating the often comical commercials which break up the action.  Yet, this year may be a little bit different.  The very thing that people are trying to escape through sports is invading that world.  This poor economy has some companies second guessing on the extravagant prices of Super Bowl commercial time.

The Wall Street Journal recently touched upon this.  Big name companies such as FedEx, whom are struggling in the economy right now, can’t have the stigma of spending millions on lavish commercials while the workers enjoy less hours and perhaps lesser pay.  Sports are no stranger to hard economic times.  Just ask NASCAR drivers of the 70s.  However, it just is exemplary of how world issues are becoming all encompassing and hard to escape.  If these problems can infiltrate the realms of professional sports, is nothing else sacred?  Will we have no repreive from these problems?  Where can we go to escape the problems of the world, if only for a little while.

Writing is good for you. Who knew?

USAToday has an interesting, but not really surprising, bit of figures today about writing in college.  Many first year students would be keen to note that on average they write 92 pages of information throughout the first year.  As time goes on, the number exponentially changes to being 146 pages when they’re a senior.  So if you’re looking at four years of schooling, this is somewhere near 368 pages of content throughout the scholastic career.  However, it should be noted that this is not exactly a bad thing.

‘Those findings provide “solid evidence that writing in college is associated with the kinds of learning that professors and higher-education institutions say they believe is most significant,” says Chuck Paine, a University of New Mexico English professor and member of the Council of Writing Program Administrators’

So it turns out that all this writing is actually good for students.  The techniques involved in writing revolve around providing analysis and the synthesis of multiple ideas and viewpoints into one coherent paper.  This is the type of higher education that Paine is alluding to in his quote, saying that students should be able to achieve higher level thinking in college institutions.  With all the stories coming out today of how American students are not getting the same quality of education as the past, this study is certainly refreshing to see.

If This Ever Happens…

So I stumble across this headline earlier…RIAA Bans Telling Friends About Songs

…and I’m pretty sure I sweared out loud.

Furiously clicking on the link, imagine my relief when I realized it was just THE ONION…just a joke…and that’s when I sweared at my own gullibility.

The worst part about it was how quickly I was to accept that it could actually have happened. People not being allowed to “buzz” about music. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is a cruel, cruel organization. They’re already super strict about keeping people from downloading illegal music. But this would be like Nazi Germany if they policed word of mouth.

So thank God this is just the Onion.

And I hope that the RIAA hasn’t seen this. Cause the day they suddenly decide to go all George Orwell, 1984…well, we’ll all know who to blame.

-Ryan