Archive for August, 2008
links for 2008-08-29
links for 2008-08-28
Amazing Gutter Art
Moog sythesizer from the 1970s
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
How Buildings Learn - Stewart Brand
(via OVO)
Banksy Does New Orleans
links for 2008-08-27
links for 2008-08-25
-
Economist article on president of Liberia
links for 2008-08-23
links for 2008-08-22
Rapper Immortal Technique Swaps The Mean Streats Of Harlem For Afghanistan
Step up New York’s Immortal Technique. The heir to Dead Prez and Public Enemy’s revolutionary legacy, dude bust onto the scene with the Green Lantern-helmed ‘Bin Laden’ four years ago and hasn’t let up since. With the critically lauded The 3rd World mixtape just out, most artists would be touring TV stations. Immortal Technique, by contrast, is off to Afghanistan to build an orphanage.“It’s a medical clinic and an orphanage for children that have been involved, and whose parents have been involved in the violence in Afghanistan,” says a weary sounding Tech down the phone from his native Harlem. “For those that have been orphaned by a conflict that’s lasted for… God knows how many years. I’m going out there. I’m obviously not gonna be able to administer the entire project, but I feel like it’s essential to be involved. The aspect of media coverage is essential. I joined with the human rights organisation Omeid International to facilitate this. I get lots of programmes shown to me. I could choose to do this, or choose to do that, and this particular time around I wanted to do this. The need came from the same place that all my music came from. It ain’t like I decided to reach into another part of myself, it’s just a natural progression. It’s a little bit of weight on the shoulders, but it’s something that I welcome because it’s something I know needs to be done.”
(via Zenarchery)
links for 2008-08-20
links for 2008-08-19
“But getting back to John Edwards’ penis…”
I have nothing to add to what Radley Balko writes:
A commentator desperately tries to get Fox News host Gregg Jarrett to talk about Russia’s attempt to goad the West into a global war. Jarrett stubbornly insists on sticking with the real story of the day–who John Edwards has been fucking.
I have no love for John Edwards. It’s always been apparent to me that Senator Handsome is a sleaze. But he’s no longer running for office. He doesn’t hold any office. Exactly how and why is this a story? It’s pretty nauseating to watch people like Mickey Kaus triumphantly celebrating their role in humiliating and embarrassing a dying woman. Good for you, Mickey. Top-notch journamalizing, there. The world’s a better place for your dogged pursuit of The Truth.
Who Scion really marketing to?
Seth Stevenson on Scion’s youth-oriented advertising campaign:
According to Ad Age, Scion was the most efficient car advertiser last year, in terms of ad dollars spent per vehicle sold, so they’ve clearly worked out a cost-effective means of reaching the groups they want to reach. Those young buyers—once roped in by an entry-level Scion—might well graduate to corporate cousins Toyota and Lexus somewhere down the line. But Scion, in its current form, is a very low-volume brand with a lot of room to grow. And the fact is, you never know who a goofy-looking car might end up appealing to.
Consider the Honda Element, another modestly priced, boxy wagon. Honda designed the car with young people in mind, labeling it a “dorm room on wheels,” but when the Element hit showrooms the average age of its buyers turned out to be 41. Likewise, the xB—with its generous cabin space, solid engineering, and low sticker price—might, in time, find a fan base among practical-minded car buyers of all ages. Unless Scion succeeds in stiff-arming everyone but the youngsters.
But if Toyota can suceed in luring in the youth demographic, won’t older demographics follow? Or is the whole grup/yupster/kidult/rejuvenile/middlescence thing just so totally yesterday? It seems to me that anything that pretends to be targeting actual youth is probably actually targeting boomers and GenXers who can actually afford to buy stuff.
