Google Wave Pulp Fiction
Megan McArdle points me to this amusing video about which Gizmodo's John Herrmann gushes, "I've read the articles, watched the instructional videos, and gotten an invite, but nothing—nothing—has done more to explain to me how this mind-melting Internet Thing works than Pulp Fiction, spectacularly adapted for Google Wave. (Warning: Tarantino language ahead)" It's an entertaining illustration but, frankly, not one that ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on October 17, 2009 10:56
Rush Limbaugh Dropped from Rams Bid Team
Missouri native Rush Limbaugh has been dropped from membership in a group seeking to buy the St. Louis Rams and keep them in the city. This speeds up the inevitable conclusion fo the NFL's owners refusing to let the controversial pundit join their ranks. Limbaugh was to be a limited partner in a group headed by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on October 15, 2009 09:25
Hot Dogs vs. Hot Dog Buns
For as long as I can remember, comedians have been having fun with the fact that hot dogs come 10 to a pack whereas hot dog buns come 8 to a pack. Via Chris Lawrence's Google Reader, I see that one intrepid gentleman has done his best to solve this dilemma: The woot's at the end have me wondering whether this ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on October 1, 2009 09:45
Star Trek Meets Monty Python
A well-done Star Trek - Monty Python mashup: via Glenn ReynoldsPosted in Outside The Beltway on September 29, 2009 16:07
50 Things Killed by the Internet
Matthew Moore marks the 40th anniversary of the Internet with a list of "50 things that are being killed by the internet." My favorites: 1) The art of polite disagreement While the inane spats of YouTube commencers may not be representative, the internet has certainly sharpened the tone of debate. The most raucous sections of the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 5, 2009 08:09
YouTube as Broadcast Network Minor Leagues
The always-provocative Mark Cuban argues that the television networks should do something about a situation where pay for content in order to sell advertising whereas online players like YouTube sell advertising for content others paid for. I think the real approach is for the broadcast networks to “Game” Youtube. There is nothing that says that they cant use Youtube to ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 4, 2009 07:12
Apollo 11 Live TV Coverage with Walter Cronkite
Now this is pretty cool: The folks at Kottke.org are bringing Walter Cronkite's live, real-time coverage of the Apollo XI moon landing as originally broadcast starting at 4:10 Eastern. Just leave this page open in your browser and at the appointed times (schedule is below), the broadcast will begin (no manual page refresh necessary). Schedule: Moon landing broacast start: 4:10:30 pm EDT on ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 20, 2009 15:03
No Preconditions
Andrew Sullivan writes that "No Recognition Of Ahmadinejad" must be considered "the first and absolute requirement of all Western governments." In my New Atlanticist post "Negotiating with Iran without Preconditions," I recall this famous exchange from the July 24, 2007 CNN/YouTube debate: More commentary and analysis at the link.Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 17, 2009 12:17
Best Rock Songs 2008 (Bumped)
A month ago, we debated whether rock music died in 1980. While we decided that it did not, we concluded that it has changed quite a bit since then. Writing at Slate, music critic Simon Reynolds writes of "Grunge's Long Shadow" and "In praise of in-between periods in pop history" as periods of transition in the dominant styles. Regular commenter anjin-san ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 5, 2009 16:30
Congress Spamming YouTube
Members of Congress are flooding YouTube with scads of amateurish, unwatchable videos, The Telegraph's Mark Coleman reports. Two months ago, the website added an official Congress channel, inviting Democrats and Republicans to share quirky political messages with voters. But analysts say the move has been hampered by politicians’ inability to adapt to an online audience. Andrew ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on March 18, 2009 14:45
15 Strangest College Courses
The gang at Online Colleges Blog have compiled a list of "The 15 Strangest College Courses In America." They concede that these courses "sound like lots of fun" but wonder "with tuition costs skyrocketing is it really worth it to spend thousands of dollars on fun diversions?" Among the offerings: Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows (University ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on March 12, 2009 13:23
Santa Claus Bailout Hearings
This is apparently making the rounds on YouTube: It's apparently funnier than I think it is.Posted in Outside The Beltway on December 23, 2008 08:56
Real America
[caption id="attachment_26354" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Two Americas"][/caption] Sarah Palin caused a bit of a flap earlier in the week when she told a North Carolina crowd that she loved visiting the "pro-America" parts of the country, leading WaPo's Juliet Eilperin to quip, "No word on which states she views as unpatriotic." The campaign circulated a longer report, courtesy of WSJ's Elizabeth Holmes, putting ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on October 19, 2008 08:34
Obama: Sex Before Reading?
A new John McCain ad belittles Barack Obama's legislative achievements on education reform and includes this gem: Obama's one accomplishment? Legislation to teach "comprehensive sex education" to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? TPM's Greg Sargent finds the charge "false" and "pernicious." He cites this passage from the bill, as circulated by McCain's staff: "Each class or course in comprehensive sex ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 10, 2008 09:21
Jerry Reed Dead at 71
Jerry Reed, a country guitar player, comedian, and actor perhaps best known for "Smokey and the Bandit" and other Burt Reynolds vehicles from the 1970s and 1980s, has died from emphysemia at age 71. Sony BMG Nashville Chairman Joe Galante called Reed a larger-than-life personality. "Everything about Jerry was distinctive: his guitar playing, writing, voice and especially his sense of humor," ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 2, 2008 19:38
