Monthly Archives: September 2008

I’m still undecided about the merits of this bailout, but you gotta love Barney Frank’s smackdown of the Republicans’ whining.

I just donated to the No On Prop 8 campaign for California. I suggest you do as well. This may hit a little closer to home for me since I’m a native Californian, but anyone who has any feeling for the cause of equality should care about this. This is the civil rights struggle of our time and anyone who opposes it will find themselves on the wrong side of history in the years to come. I try to be careful of issuing blanket statements of what is morally right and wrong, as I see too many on the left and right infusing politics with morality, but this is an area where there should be no compromise. Outlawing gay marriage turns homosexuals into second-class citizens. And “civil unions” are a second-class institution (I’m talking to you Obama).

Please, donate if you can, and bug your Californian friends to get the hell out there and vote.

Someone posted an awesome Stephen Sondheim masterclass at the Guildhall School on YouTube. Good stuff.

My Friends from Sweeney Todd

The number one encouraging sign from the recent debate?

No mention of God.

No pandering to the evangelicals.

On either side.

I think this is a major step forward for politics in America.

Seriously.

I just found out that I have to wait until November until I can get my G1 at the discounted price… Weak. The deal is that you have to wait until you are 22 months completed of a two-year contract or 11 months of a one-year. Normally my impatient ass would cave, but it’s a difference of about 120 bucks.

Sigh… For now I’ll just have to settle for some G1 porn:

The T-Mobile G1 User Guide

Oh yeah, and here is my favorite part of my convo with T-Mobile:

Faceless T-Mobile Henchman: So you’ll have to wait until November for the discount.

Impatient Mafoo: Um, ok… (twitching impatiently) Is there a specific date in November that the discount will apply?

Faceless T-Mobile Henchman: No. Just November.

Impatient Mafoo: No, I mean what day will I be able to buy my prec… er, my new G1?

Faceless T-Mobile Henchman: You can buy it in November.

Impatient Mafoo: So, what? Like November 1st??

Faceless T-Mobile Henchman: Yes, November 1st.

Impatient Mafoo: Oh. So the “specific date in November that the discount will apply” is November 1st?

Faceless T-Mobile Henchman: Yes.

Impatient Mafoo: Sigh. Thank you. (hang up) Grumble grumble corporate behemoths grumble…

Of course you would! :)

things have gotten so weird in the music business that high-profile acts are inserting ads into their song lyrics. The next time you hear a brand mentioned in a song, it could be due to a paid product placement. And unlike magazines, songs are not required to point out which words are part of an advertisement.

In the e-mail, Kluger (who has represented Mariah Carey, New Kids on the Blog, Ne-Yo, Fall Out Boy, Method Man, Lady GaGa and Ludacris) explained via e-mail that for the right price, Double Happiness Jeans could find its way into the lyrics in an upcoming Pussycat Dolls song.

I assume they meant New Kids on the Block, unless I’m majorly out of touch with music today.

Anyway, yeah so now there’s even more reason for there there to be crappy songs about Abercrombie, Moet Champagne, Lexus SUVs, and all manner of crap I dislike. Actually, I’m lying. I have a soft spot for champagne. The bubbles make me feel fancy. Ya know, I really don’t care that much whether these acts have advertising in their songs or not. Any integrity has already been compromised. Anyone who takes Ludacris seriously, whether he’s flashing gold or trying to save the environment, is already compromised. S’all good.

1. McCain has an ad currently running celebrating his apparent future win of the debates. Here’s the screenshot from the WSJ website where the ad ran.

2. Some of the most devoted right-wing voices are showing their frank displeasure with Sarah Palin, regarding her abysmal performance in the Couric interview.

3. And… I’m probably gonna get in trouble with my GF for this, but… here you go: Sarah Palin’s swimsuit competition:

Ok, I thought I’d just post the full text of the interview, so you can see just how ridiculous it is:

Sarah Palin: My understanding is that Rick Davis recused himself from the dealings of the firm. I don’t know how long ago, a year or two ago that he’s not benefiting from that. And you know, I was – I would hope that’s not the case.

Katie Couric: But he still has a stake in the company so isn’t that a conflict of interest?

(There is a long pause, here)

Palin: Again, my understanding is that he recused himself from the dealings with Freddie and Fannie, any lobbying efforts on his part there. And I would hope that’s the case because, as John McCain has been saying, and as I’ve on a much more local level been also rallying against is the undue influence of lobbyists in public policy decisions being made.

Next, Couric asked about the $700 billion government bailout of bad debt – and whether she supports it.

Palin: I’m all about the position that America is in and that we have to look at a $700 billion bailout. And as Sen. McCain has said unless this nearly trillion dollar bailout is what it may end up to be, unless there are amendments in Paulson’s proposal, really I don’t believe that Americans are going to support this and we will not support this. The interesting thing in the last couple of days that I have seen is that Americans are waiting to see what John McCain will do on this proposal. They’re not waiting to see what Barack Obama is going to do. Is he going to do this and see what way the political wind’s blowing? They’re waiting to see if John McCain will be able to see these amendments implemented in Paulson’s proposal.

Couric: Why do you say that? Why are they waiting for John McCain and not Barack Obama?

Palin: He’s got the track record of the leadership qualities and the pragmatism that’s needed at a crisis time like this.

Couric: But polls have shown that Sen. Obama has actually gotten a boost as a result of this latest crisis, with more people feeling that he can handle the situation better than John McCain.

Palin: I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?

Couric: If this doesn’t pass, do you think there’s a risk of another Great Depression?

Palin: Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this, as it’s been proposed, has to pass or we’re going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. But, there has got to be action – bipartisan effort – Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.

Couric: Would you support a moratorium on foreclosures to help average Americans keep their homes?

Palin: That’s something that John McCain and I have both been discussing – whether that … is part of the solution or not. You know, it’s going to be a multi-faceted solution that has to be found here.

Couric: So you haven’t decided whether you’ll support it or not?

Palin: I have not.

Couric: What are the pros and cons of it do you think?

Palin: Oh, well, some decisions that have been made poorly should not be rewarded, of course.

Couric: By consumers, you’re saying?

Palin: Consumers – and those who were predator lenders also. That’s, you know, that has to be considered also. But again, it’s got to be a comprehensive, long-term solution found … for this problem that America is facing today. As I say, we are getting into crisis mode here.

Couric: You’ve said, quote, “John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business.” Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie – that, that’s paramount. That’s more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

Couric: But he’s been in Congress for 26 years. He’s been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

Palin: He’s also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he’s been talking about – the need to reform government.

Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you’ve said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this?

Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today.

Couric: I’m just going to ask you one more time – not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

Palin: I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to you.

This is remarkable in its utter lack of content. Every single answer is an evasion or a broad blanket statement. I don’t know shit about the current economic crisis, but I could at least do better on this interview than she. This is not me feeling good because I know more than a Vice-Presidential nominee about an area of interest. This is me freaking out that a Vice-Presidential nominee isn’t schooling my pseudo-political dumbass. Jesus. What the hell is going on? Reagan and W were both empty facades but they could at least bullshit well.

VIDEO:

This video of Sarah Palin being kept safe “from every form of witchcraft” is straight messed up, yo. I’m pretty sure that the members of the congregation are speaking in tongues, btw.

Charlie Kaufman’s directoral debut Synecdoche, New York gets a poster. I’m pretty excited about this one.

Myspace’s new music player actually looks pretty cool. You can now pop it out, make playlists, etc. They should have done this a year ago. It’s cool, but it may be too little too late.

The Finnish school shooter was “almost certainly” in contact with his predecessor, who killed 8 people at a school about a year ago. Police are hinting at some sort of a network.

And… while we’re all freaking out about our crumbling economy, China is quietly planning a frakin Cylon Basestar!

I’ve been seeing some (totally unsubstantiated) chatter around the internets about the possibility of the election being postponed because of the “financial crisis”. This seems to be firmly in the conspiracy theory state, but it’s kind of making me wonder, especially with recent news of McCain campaign suspension and reports that Bush is to meet with the two candidates Thursday to discuss the bailout plan and the crisis in general. Or I’m probably just being paranoid. But seriously, who’s ever heard of a candidate suspending their campaign??