Random photo III: Remembering Paris, 2001

I like this one because it's a perspective on the Eiffel Tower that you don't often see.



As always, your critiques are appreciated.

tagged: Paris, France, Europe, Eiffel Tower, photo, photography

Memo to BBC World: Thanks for nothing

Earlier this month, BBC World launched a billboard campaign heralding their arrival in America.

Some have called the interactive billboards innovative. The billboards feature a text message response number that allows viewers to vote between two interpretations of a news item. Here are the samples (click to embiggen).
So the audience can "vote" via text message on the characterizations that are presented. This kind of audience participation is what some consider "innovative" (though so-called reality TV shows like American Idol have been doing this for at least five years).

The problem I have with the campaign is that, as if we weren't doing a fine job of it ourselves the BBC is now contributing to the dumbing down and polarization of the American public.

These ads encourage people to think in absolutes. Illegal aliens, for example, are either "criminals" or "citizens." There's no middle ground.

I'm pretty sure this falls into the realm of the logical fallacy of the complex question. They presuppose a set of circumstances that haven't necessarily been proven or accepted.

The problem of course is that very few questions are as black and white. Framing questions the way BBC World has in the above campaign strips the nuance out of the national discussion.

If we're not careful, we'll end up with half the country thinking one way and half the country thinking the opposite way. I know none of us want that. Right?

tagged: BBC World, billboard, advertising, iraq, illegal immigration

Headlines: The toughest SOB in the nation

I've tangled with some tough customers before.

I've gone toe-to-toe with the occasional hornet's nest in the kid's swing set. I've fended off the aggressive licking and butt sniffing or our friend's overgrown Weimaraner. I've chased off the elusive urban raccoon. And regular readers are familiar with my complete destruction of the harmless Steatoda triangulosa.

Hell, I've even ventured into Westport after dark before.

So yeah, I considered myself a pretty tough dude. But then I read about Florida senior resident Dale Rippy, a veritable latter-day Daniel Boone.

Dale Rippy says he was acting on instinct when a rabid 25-pound bobcat attacked him on his porch in this central Florida suburb.

My instinct would be to get the fuck off the porch. Maybe barricade myself inside the house by piling up couches, chairs and other furniture by the door, cartoon-style. But not Dale "The Ripper" Rippy:

Rippy, 62, endured the bobcat's slashes and bites until it clawed into a position where he could grab it by the throat.

Then he strangled it.

That's right. Strangled it. The rabid freakin' bobcat! With his BARE HANDS!

Rippy said it was clear the crazed bobcat had to be stopped.

"I was bleeding everyplace," the Vietnam veteran said of the May 30 attack. "If that cat had attacked a child, it would've been really bad. It wouldn't have quit."

Tests showed the dead bobcat was rabid. Rippy was treated for exposure to rabies, and several bites and cuts.

Authorities praised Rippy for clear thinking under pressure.

"We give this guy a lot of credit for what he did," said Pasco County Animal Control Manager Denise Hilton. "The man was definitely using his head when he did that. If he let the cat go, we could have had more victims."

I don't know how long Rippy has left on this earth. Clearly as a veteran of Vietnam, he's been through "some shit" as they say.

But I can tell you, based on this story, that I would rather have one 62-year-old, tough-as-nails geezer like Rippy at my back with the shit hits the fan than a hundred crying, overly sensitive, overly coddled, whining emo boy hipsters.

tagged: headlines, news, rabid bobcat, Dale Rippy, Florida, strangle, wildlife

Friday Blogthing: Would you like cheese with that

This is peculiar. I've always preferred red wines (particularly Italians) to white, though I have had some excellent chardonnays.

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

What Kind of Wine Are You?

tagged: wine, blog, quiz, survey, chardonnay, alcohol

3A.M. Poll: What is your favorite finger?

This one is pretty straightforward. It may seem trivial, but this is a very important issue I can assure you.



tagged: poll, vote, finger, thumb, pinky

YouTube Tuesday: John feels pretty

Politicians can be so vain... and funny.



tagged: movies, YouTube, video, John Edwards, vanity, hair, West Side Story, humor

YouTube Tuesday supplemental: It's finally here!

This is about the funniest thing on TV since that chick on the Newly Wed Game "made whoopie" in the rear.



tagged: movies, YouTube, video, Star Wars, Palpatine, Robot Chicken, humor

The happy Moore on

I knew I should have deleted Letterman.

When I saw that Michael Moore was a guest and he was going to talk about his new "documentary" Sicko, I knew I should have deleted that episode from the DVR and watched a Southpark rerun.

But, I ignored my better judgment just to get a glimpse of the night's Top 10 List. The result of course, is that Moore's hypocritical babbling got my blood up to rant level.

Moore has no credibility in my book. The mere fact that he calls his propaganda films "documentaries" is only one reason. I have no intention of seeing his movie (although, you can see it for free here, if the link still works), but based on his remarks during the Letterman interview, it seems to fit the mold of his previous efforts.

(Yes, I am aware that I seem to be commenting about a movie I haven't seen. So to be clear, my comments are strictly about the interview on Letterman and Moore's characterization of his film during this interview.)

The problem is, as with most of his films, Moore starts with a conclusion (i.e., "health care should be paid for by the gubment") and then sets out to find stories and "evidence" to support his conclusion. When Letterman asks him if his movie is just a series of anecdotes critical of the American health care system, he gives this response.

"I spent most of my time traveling to other countries to find out how we could create a better system here.

In every single other western industrialized country it [universal health care] is underwritten by the government. You never have to worry about it costing anything. It's free for everyone."

That's right. Free.

I was just as amazed at this revelation as you are. It seems countries like France and Germany have found ways to compel health care workers to do their jobs without getting paid. Pharmaceutical companies gladly donate all the prescription drugs needed to ensure good health among the populations.

Of course, Moore knows that nothing is "free". He knows that under a national health care system we would end up paying even more taxes to a notoriously inefficient federal system to get, if we're lucky, the same health care we have now.

As if this wasn't enough, Moore further demonstrated his jerkoffitude while relating the story of his trip to Cuba. He pointed out that prisoners detainees at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base received better health care than people who volunteered to help during the World Trade Center recovery.

I thought, why don't we go get a boat, sail into Guantánamo Bay go right up to the naval station and say "I've got these 9-11 rescue workers here would you give them the same care that you're giving the evildoers. And that's what we did.

Moore goes on to state that he was not received well at the Naval base. Really? Ya think? So you sailed into a U.S. Naval base unannounced and you received a cool reception? Dude, given the location and the geopolitical atmosphere of the day, you're lucky they didn't torpedo you're ass first and ask questions later.

Look, the U.S. health care system has serious problems. I suspect very few people have a good understanding what they are. It's not just about who pays for health care. We have to look at why the costs are spiraling, why is insurance so expensive, why are prescription drugs so expensive? There are a myriad other questions that I don't even know about.

For Moore to sell the idea that "you can have it all for free" ignores the fact that the health care system is a system and needs to be addressed as such.

He had an opportunity to look into these issues objectively and pragmatically to make a truly informative documentary. Of course, he'll sell a lot more tickets and make a lot more money by being an inflammatory douche rather than informative.

tagged: Michael Moore, David Letterman, Sicko, policy, health care, Cuba, Guantánamo Bay

The marketing field

Am I crazy, or is this a great idea for KCI?

Passengers landing at Gatwick airport are being greeted by a giant naked pole dancer. The 9,000 sq m (100,000 sq ft) image is painted on grassland under the incoming flight path.

There's so much blank canvas around KCI that this couldn't help but be a money maker.

Couldn't you envision looking out the window during the descent and seeing a giant bottle of Unfiltered Wheat? Maybe a huge Chiefs logo? or a Harrah's Casino banner?

I smell an opportunity here.

tagged: Kansas City, airport, advertising, Chiefs, Boulevard Brewing Co., Unfiltered Wheat, Harrah's Casino, Gatwick,

Friday Blogthing: Arrrr!

This one has been cropping up in a lot of places. It looks like I'm equal parts pirate and superspy.

Capt. Jack Sparrow + James Bond = Awesome Me.

You scored as Captain Jack Sparrow, Roguish,quick-witted, and incredibly lucky, Jack Sparrow is a pirate who sometimes ends up being a hero, against his better judgement. Captain Jack looks out for #1, but he can be counted on (usually) to do the right thing. He has an incredibly persuasive tongue, a mind that borders on genius or insanity, and an incredible talent for getting into trouble and getting out of it. Maybe its brains, maybe its genius, or maybe its just plain luck. Or maybe a mixture of all three. Captain Jack Sparrow 75% James Bond, Agent 007 75% Batman, the Dark Knight 67% Lara Croft 58% The Terminator 58% Maximus 58% William Wallace 58% Indiana Jones 54% Neo, the "One" 50% El Zorro 46% The Amazing Spider-Man 46% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

tagged: hero, quiz, Friday, pirate, Jack Sparrow, spy, James Bond