tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59160991508294702442024-03-05T00:41:44.235-05:00Nicotine Fit“Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times.” - Mark TwainNic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.comBlogger241125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-52700385383720542352012-08-25T14:42:00.002-04:002012-08-25T14:42:40.595-04:00My Life as a Corporate Hippie<br />
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<br />Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-81128558357299525362012-06-14T09:29:00.000-04:002012-06-14T09:29:16.795-04:00On Agency Pitches and Ancient Practices<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/21/article-1349303-0CDADD82000005DC-319_634x386.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/21/article-1349303-0CDADD82000005DC-319_634x386.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 35%; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 35%;" /></a>In the ad agency world, we are frequently called on to pitch new business. This is universally understood to be a mode that takes several weeks, requires just about everyone's labor, and a 24/7 commitment from all parties. In short, it is hell.<br />
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Recently I have started to wonder why pitches are like this. We routinely turn around business-critical work under tight deadlines and unreasonable client expectations. And though there can be lots of late nights, there are usually established processes and roles that help to increase efficiency and divide labor. For digital work, we can use some form of Waterfall (yucko) or the more efficient processes, like Scrum and Kanban, that fall under the <a href="http://agilemanifesto.org/">Agile </a>framework. In traditional print, TV and radio, there are departments that manage the workload in shifts, spreading the responsibility of delivery fairly evenly.<br />
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But pitches are an area in which I have yet to encounter any process or working agreement at all. There is only an imperative: win the business at any cost.<br />
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I have come to believe that in the absence of any model or set of guidelines for completing this (admittedly important) work, people resort to primitive rituals to meet the goals of the agency/tribe.<br />
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From the moment the Request for Proposal arrives, there is a sense that we have been given a sign from the Gods. They have signaled that they will make it rain only if we collectively demonstrate sufficient reverence and sacrifice to satisfy their every whim.<br />
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Immediately tribe members are told to stop their normal planting and harvesting activities and prepare for the coming ritual.<br />
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There is a war room (cave) selected. We sit around the big table (fire) and begin the long, long conversation (prayer). Print outs and sketches (cave paintings) are put up on walls. Regular meetings are scheduled so that the representative elders and their minions can perfect the rain dance.<br />
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As the pitch date approaches time loses all meaning, food is ordered at all hours, tribe members break off in smaller groups and reconvene regularly to pray and dance. People start to brag about how they slept on the couch and had to run across the street in the morning to buy a toothbrush. The tribe turns nocturnal and there is the expectation of human sacrifice.<br />
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Honestly, if we did not have modern laws and morals, I suspect that the tribe would elect one member to be pushed off the roof the night before the pitch.<br />
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To question any of this is seen as a threat to the wellbeing of the tribe. Those who demonstrate a lack of faith have their work ethic called into question. If a tribe member continues to perpetuate this heresy, he or she may be banished from the tribe altogether.<br />
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For only the Gods make it rain, and unless we keep praying and dancing, we shall feel Their Wrath.Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-85057279680316674282012-03-01T15:14:00.001-05:002012-03-01T15:15:41.541-05:00RIP Andrew BreitbartIn honor of my old high school acquaintance and primary driver of traffic to this largely defunct blog, rest in peace, Andrew Breitbart.Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-86174048107661868942010-07-21T11:14:00.004-04:002010-07-21T11:30:02.493-04:00Breitbart FailIt looks like my old nemesis Andrew Breitbart is going to fail on his attempt to smear another well-meaning black person, in this case Shirley Sherrod. Breitbart's group, Whites for Getting Scary Black People Fired, or WGSBPF, keeps trying to prove how terrible all of these various black people are through misleading, selectively edited videos.<div><br /></div><div>This time, though, it looks like Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/vilsack_reconsidering_on_sherrod_but_does_she_even.php?ref=fpb">is backtracking on her ouster</a> and she is becoming a symbol of the victims of hateful Tea Party gotcha operations against respectable black people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and we're supposed to believe that these Tea Party types aren't racist? Bullshit.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-18875716693341807322010-04-28T12:14:00.003-04:002010-04-28T12:14:50.937-04:00Introducing Alex Pareene<a href=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/04/28/alex_pareene_intro_post>Introducing Alex Pareene</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-60761045088392577192010-04-28T12:14:00.001-04:002010-04-28T12:14:21.430-04:00Introducing Alex Pareene<a href=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/04/28/alex_pareene_intro_post>Introducing Alex Pareene</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-9084868146733214982010-04-14T12:11:00.004-04:002010-04-14T12:18:01.062-04:00The future of news<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFl1VDqmWfDVtEmnJCIf6oQz5Zrc_yAqLUDa8pb5zXxh3sw6PedLtntuagNltEthyYHCqfEgk5ibfhngs5FLCljnY2S8jXwi81_14NeJpHVreG8GpPQrvuKlrMMEBL5Us8eZaGrfv21vx/s1600/news-of-the-future.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFl1VDqmWfDVtEmnJCIf6oQz5Zrc_yAqLUDa8pb5zXxh3sw6PedLtntuagNltEthyYHCqfEgk5ibfhngs5FLCljnY2S8jXwi81_14NeJpHVreG8GpPQrvuKlrMMEBL5Us8eZaGrfv21vx/s400/news-of-the-future.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460026627712583250" border="0" /></a>Has anyone else noticed this awesomely trashy web ad purporting to offer "BREAKING NEWS" relating to an expose of a berry of some sort?<br /><br />It amuses me/makes me sadface that this image represents a lowest common denominator view of what "news" is: a hot chick on TV in a revealing tank top, urgently offering unimportant information that turns out to be an ad.<br /><br />Also: in the future, will female newscasters actually start wearing less clothing? Fox already has a well-enforced porn aesthetic (for the women). How low will television news get?Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-13643734361191032522010-04-11T01:43:00.000-04:002010-04-11T01:43:52.898-04:00Mark E - - Turntablelab.com<a href="http://www.turntablelab.com/the-wall/0/7/83342.html">Mark E - - Turntablelab.com</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-78780922066524220952010-04-07T13:40:00.001-04:002010-04-07T13:40:29.182-04:00IBM Impact - testtesting IBM Impact testing #ibmimpactNic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-50885156899079312172010-03-26T15:19:00.003-04:002010-03-26T15:24:04.369-04:00Tea Party wackos holding a "Woodstock for conservatives"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1alKhXYJ4ORsM1AJ5Rfczld2gZyoapT5Go-azDzEO4Lv_BeP0vTNhmMC2M0FURgqf7Mr_aHzGmFX_hOYJTV00vdm7uWBxozu7XPAfFZ2fCOmeGzzps7b3lRAylEwYToXiREzu3NuBP2h/s1600/TROJAN-HORSE-Big-Journalism.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1alKhXYJ4ORsM1AJ5Rfczld2gZyoapT5Go-azDzEO4Lv_BeP0vTNhmMC2M0FURgqf7Mr_aHzGmFX_hOYJTV00vdm7uWBxozu7XPAfFZ2fCOmeGzzps7b3lRAylEwYToXiREzu3NuBP2h/s400/TROJAN-HORSE-Big-Journalism.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453025368136816594" /></a><br />"<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">There will also be musical entertainment, from acts that have toured the Tea Party circuit, such as Lloyd Marcus. In addition to Palin, other speakers include Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher, former <i>Saturday Night Live</i> actress Victoria Jackson, Andrew Breitbart and others."</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">I'm sorry, Lloyd Marcus?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">Ah, yes, <a href="http://www.lloydmarcus.com/">Lloyd Marcus</a> the black Tea Partying singer! Yee haw!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;">Oh and look, he's also a talented artist.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:'Times New Roman', times, georgia, serif;font-size:14px;"><br /></span></div>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-54872691983291437942010-02-23T13:18:00.001-05:002010-02-23T13:20:40.185-05:00TwitterI now use twitter. !, I guess.<br /><br />I actually need it for work because apparently twitter is the new advertising or something.<br /><br />But there are some laughs in the twitterverse:<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23itwasntme">http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23itwasntme</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-25518348912609713762010-02-03T10:44:00.008-05:002010-02-03T16:58:05.860-05:00Andrew Breitbart supporting fucking racists<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ftaYbxV_4WrCtFbDWRDknk8CA7WAvL2xhEs9hYkWxZxFa-wcohU7N0nuqrc2Ngn5FMyPPajyA0xPyAqeKPdJaC2KhrVokgjNxutHgDZrN9PvtzYaMqzl_rK44FOAdiha9HsZRcns3hnW/s1600-h/keefeJames.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ftaYbxV_4WrCtFbDWRDknk8CA7WAvL2xhEs9hYkWxZxFa-wcohU7N0nuqrc2Ngn5FMyPPajyA0xPyAqeKPdJaC2KhrVokgjNxutHgDZrN9PvtzYaMqzl_rK44FOAdiha9HsZRcns3hnW/s400/keefeJames.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434044775692400594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuVZN2ZfeOQOhT50FtsQeJTsEi2obtpsAwieUwPmuvIWLGCXOK_7NmX78xjjCBwSQ-MChRrCQ0leqWvaCzQbpa6cTLwV1u2vwW8-j1_TWDKHiNGCM_lNj-dxccSaYI3g3DL6gbF9jDN47/s1600-h/andrew-breitbart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuVZN2ZfeOQOhT50FtsQeJTsEi2obtpsAwieUwPmuvIWLGCXOK_7NmX78xjjCBwSQ-MChRrCQ0leqWvaCzQbpa6cTLwV1u2vwW8-j1_TWDKHiNGCM_lNj-dxccSaYI3g3DL6gbF9jDN47/s320/andrew-breitbart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434044705102935186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I kind of suspected that Breitbart was crazy as well as angry, but Salon blows the lid off of his whole despicable charade this morning. Turns out Breitbart's golden boy James O'Keefe is just a little bit (a lot) white supremist-ey! Fuck you James O'Keefe. Fuck you Andrew Breitbart.<br /><a href="http://salon.com/news/james_okeefe/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/02/03/james_okeefe_white_nationalists"><br />James O'Keefe's race problem</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.onepeoplesproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=309:hey-james-okeefe-about-that-white-racist-forum-you-attended-in-2006&catid=34:ye-olde-white-power-chopping-block">One People's Project Report</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/15/782156/-The-Acorn-Pimp:-the-bully-behind-the-costume.-%28I-found-his-blog%29">Daily Kos' O'Keefe Blog Capture</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-74813842046259032192010-02-03T10:27:00.001-05:002010-02-03T10:28:46.419-05:00Fucking 'Lost'It doesn't help that I fell asleep for the last 20 minutes last night, but this is the best thing I've read about last night's season 6 premiere on the internet so far today:<br /><br />"Oh yeah, and John Locke is still dead in a coffin on the island, but then the still-living Locke, in the wake of manipulating Ben into killing Jacob, turned into a smoke monster and killed a bunch of annoying characters waving guns around. Then the smoke monster Locke scoffed at how pathetic the real Locke, who's dead on the beach, was, plus there's also the original Locke landing in Los Angeles and chatting with Jack in the baggage claim office. Three Lockes! I should've been annoyed by the whole thing, but all I could think was, "Who is this fake smoke-monster Locke, and where has he been all of our lives?""<br /><br />via <a href="http://salon.com/entertainment/tv/lost/index.html?story=/ent/tv/iltw/2010/02/03/lost_premiere">Salon</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-76111690448459261632010-01-13T13:35:00.003-05:002010-01-13T13:40:29.432-05:00Poor Haiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZuJbmf8njWrbgNFQtkUdD3ovUruyWL8FNxCfuN9-5TbSmr5LeqfvrKjyonycQiCom2AY3Cdj8qh6TFDB6rZ4qt-z_r4mqcLTn03fLeXDuyqkMJiv95LF1GbJqM7aDuiIXED1IBzqDPKU/s1600-h/portauprince_disaster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZuJbmf8njWrbgNFQtkUdD3ovUruyWL8FNxCfuN9-5TbSmr5LeqfvrKjyonycQiCom2AY3Cdj8qh6TFDB6rZ4qt-z_r4mqcLTn03fLeXDuyqkMJiv95LF1GbJqM7aDuiIXED1IBzqDPKU/s400/portauprince_disaster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426296125563857314" border="0" /></a>God, does this country ever get a break? A sad, sad day.<br /><br />A good update source:<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2010/01/13/haiti-earthquake-live-coverage/">http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2010/01/13/haiti-earthquake-live-coverage/</a><br /><br />Donate to the Red Cross:<br /><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/74zBOD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;" >http://bit.ly/74zBOD</span></a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-32240378622954918582010-01-12T10:56:00.002-05:002010-01-12T11:01:00.654-05:00The new permanent freakshow on the right side of your web browserHas anyone else noticed this ultra-cheap looking ad sidebar that persists on the right side of a large portion of the internet now? Notice how the images don't necessarily have anything to do with what is being advertised. It seems that they just focus group tested high in distracting users from what they are reading. Can I have my old internet back please?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAe1G_C3AQumUz5p-ol1dq5A45GNX0q55Y9jAKOmtamzWMqaLGeMDGetVbHDHUWD2t6qbIKTFO41JtLuLCAm0imVt-5qd3cEinDulYrbGF_LAm2VFC7_aXKJeKSXXNfcCwHU0kD_hAwLO/s1600-h/ads.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAe1G_C3AQumUz5p-ol1dq5A45GNX0q55Y9jAKOmtamzWMqaLGeMDGetVbHDHUWD2t6qbIKTFO41JtLuLCAm0imVt-5qd3cEinDulYrbGF_LAm2VFC7_aXKJeKSXXNfcCwHU0kD_hAwLO/s400/ads.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425883763066516450" border="0" /></a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-57371625941787695062010-01-08T16:23:00.001-05:002010-01-08T16:23:22.186-05:00Why do we listen to Rudy?<a href=http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2010/01/08/remembering_bernie>Why do we listen to Rudy?</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-56142802414232444052010-01-08T13:54:00.002-05:002010-01-08T13:55:20.943-05:00Alamba Politician : "Bible true...every word of it"HUNTSVILLE, AL - "I believe the Bible is true," Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne said here Wednesday. "Every word of it."<br /><br />http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/01/bradley_byrne_says_every_word.html<br /><br />/sighNic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-66112153780591736742009-12-17T00:01:00.005-05:002009-12-17T00:11:18.253-05:00My Christmas Thought: Why Do We Engage in Such Stupid Debates?Should people with cancer who lost their jobs no longer have access to doctors and treatments?<br /><br />Should people who lose their jobs be able to keep their homes?<br /><br />Should really, really rich people get huge tax breaks?<br /><br />It's really a debate.<br /><br />Should same sex couples be able to visit one another in the hospital?<br /><br />I don't know.<br /><br />Should we pay much, much more for pharmaceuticals than people in Canada?<br /><br />Is global warming caused by people, and if so or if not, should we do anything about it?<br /><br />I just don't know.<br /><br />So, over Christmas, when your parents' friends talk about the failure of "Obamacare", just wonder why we are the only developed country that engages in these debates. It's just us!<br /><br />But, wait, should we execute gays? I don't know. Let's debate!Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-41741105318789617212009-12-15T15:40:00.003-05:002009-12-15T15:48:18.144-05:00Marc Riley emailed me!For those of you who haven't heard the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/marc_riley/">Marc Riley Show</a> on BBC 6Music (Mon - Thu, 2-4pm), it's the best rock/experimental show on the internet. He covers the full spectrum from Roxy Music to Midlake to Toots and the Maytels to infinity.<br /><br />Recently he's been playing a song called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=table+%22songs+you+can+sing+on+your+own%22&x=0&y=0">"Songs You Can Sing On Your Own" by Table</a>.<br /><br />Anyway, I emailed him to say how much I liked it, and *he emailed me back*. I know, schoolgirl, whatever, but, believe me it's awesome:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><div class="gE iv gt" style="font-size: 13px; padding-left: 4px; padding-bottom: 3px; cursor: auto; padding-right: 0px;"><table class="cf gJ" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 0px; width: auto;" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="gF gK" style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,sans-serif; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 218px; padding-top: 0px;"><table class="cf ix" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 218px;" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><div class="iw" style="overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="lHQn1d"></span><span class="ik" style="vertical-align: top; position: relative; top: -1px;"></span><h3 class="gD" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap; display: inline; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(121, 6, 25);"><span email="marc.riley@bbc.co.uk" style="position: relative; top: -4px;">Marc Riley </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span class="hb" style="vertical-align: top;">to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span email="bryanthemusical@gmail.com" class="g2" style="vertical-align: top;">me</span></span></span></span></h3> <span class="hb" style="vertical-align: top;"><br /><span email="bryanthemusical@gmail.com" class="g2" style="vertical-align: top;"></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="gH" style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,sans-serif; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top;"><div class="gK" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 4px;"><span class="iD" idlink="" style="color: rgb(0, 84, 136); text-decoration: underline; cursor: pointer; vertical-align: top;">show details</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span id=":1tw" class="g3" title="Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 3:30 PM" alt="Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 3:30 PM" style="vertical-align: top; margin-right: 3px;">3:30 PM (17 minutes ago)</span><span></span></div></td><td class="gH" style="margin: 0px; font-family: arial,sans-serif; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id=":1pu" class="ii gt" style="margin: 5px 15px; font-size: 13px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><div><div><span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#0000ff;">IT IS ..ITS CALLED 'SONGS YOU CAN SING ON YOUR OWN ... MAGICAL EH MATE!</span></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us"><hr /><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:85%;"><b>From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bryan [mailto:<a href="mailto:bryanthemusical@gmail.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 84, 136);">bryanthemusical@gmail.<wbr>com</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>15 December 2009 20:21<br /><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Marc Riley<br /><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Table - "Tear a Blind Hole..."<br /></span><br /></div><div class="im" style="color: rgb(80, 0, 80);">Just beautiful. Thanks.<div><br />Bryan in New York</div><br /></div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 84, 136);">http://www.bbc.co.uk</a><br />This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.<br />If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system.<br />Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately.<br />Please note that the BBC monitors e-mails sent or received.<br />Further communication will signify your consent to this.</span></div></div></span></span>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-41090368507823284482009-12-10T14:55:00.001-05:002009-12-10T14:56:55.654-05:00Jezebel's Anna N. makes a strong argument against the word "douchebag"She's right, it is pretty passe:<br /><br />"...'douchebag,' once a thrillingly multifaceted insult, has calcified into a type. Douchebags wear Ed Hardy shirts. They pop their collars. They may differ by region, but even these differences are strictly codified. 'Douchebag' used to be both simple and versatile, a way to describe someone whose disregard for other people, combined with outsized self-regard, was so extreme as to be hilarious. Now it's a culture, with its own stereotypes and its own quasi-ethnic jokes."<br /><br />True that.Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-16892650627565708162009-12-08T10:00:00.012-05:002009-12-08T11:14:53.690-05:00Gawker "actually likes" year-old song that everyone else in the world already knows, likes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkixOKXs7l5aQ0jH95G-4m3Yg8aOXdy9SQszw0TsjcpGSpy3FXlbZA7zfceDpizDqcNCP95BotY-g2kdjyqXdJ27yqEqyEWMqOCIMnxzBAh2Mze5rFnVq4ebZQTkEIbjtMZcg3Gjs7SN9N/s1600-h/Fail15-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkixOKXs7l5aQ0jH95G-4m3Yg8aOXdy9SQszw0TsjcpGSpy3FXlbZA7zfceDpizDqcNCP95BotY-g2kdjyqXdJ27yqEqyEWMqOCIMnxzBAh2Mze5rFnVq4ebZQTkEIbjtMZcg3Gjs7SN9N/s200/Fail15-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412889259486569426" border="0" /></a>Gawker Editor-in-Chief Gabriel Snyder has discovered the Pheonix song "1901"! And he has graciously shared this gem with us, for our benefit! Too bad that Phoenix is already so well known that they appeared on SNL like 8 months ago, and "1901" is currently running about 1,000 times a day in a Cadillac commercial.<br /><br />From Gawker <a href="http://gawker.com/5420978/french-music-we-actually-like">yesterday</a>:<br /><br />"A few months ago this song started popping up in my iTunes on shuffle mode, but I kept forgetting to go back to my computer and learn the name."<br /><br />Yeah, all that crap that keeps popping up in shuffle, but you can't be bothered to actually find out the name of the song or artist, and of course you never knew it to begin with because you don't ever buy any music or seek any out anymore. It's just sort of there. Playing on shuffle.<br /><br />There's so much wrong with this post, I don't really know where to begin. First is the dated, tone-deaf headline "French Music We Actually Like." Yeah, because, like all French music sucks, dude. I challenge the author of this post to name 5 French artists he either likes or dislikes.<br /><br />And the whole "actually like" conceit is annoying: apparently they are so discerning in their taste that only occasionally do they come across a song that meets their impeccably high standards. Maybe the trick to finding music you "actually like" is to pay a little bit of attention to music and to occasionally take your iPod off of shuffle mode.<br /><br />I have to say, though, that the commenters didn't let me down. They quite fairly made a mockery of this post, prompting a bit of snarky defensiveness from Snyder. Examples:<br /><br />"<span class="commenttexteditable">So tell us about the French music you actually <i>hate</i>, Mr. Snyder."<br /><br />"</span><span class="commenttexteditable">I love this song! I do not like the whole "French music we actually like" attitude, though. Have you tried to listen to any French music? As if all French music sounded the same. Oof. </span> <!-- REPLY --> <div class="replyContainer" style="width: 70px; display: inline; height: 17px;"> "<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My fave:</span><br /><br />"<span class="commenttexteditable">Wow, and only eight months after they appeared on SNL! When do you think Gabe's gonna find out Michael Jackson died?"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And Gabriel's weak response:</span><br /><br />"</span><span class="commenttexteditable">I go out on Saturday nights, but apparently not to cool enough parties to know this band as soon as you."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But apparently you don't have to go to parties at all to know about this band:</span><br /><br />"</span><span class="commenttexteditable">You do know this song is also blaring to Cadillac commercials every two or three minutes, too, right?"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">and</span><br /><br />"</span><span class="commenttexteditable">The producers of Cougartown, Entourage and every late night talk show ever are going to be so jazzed to find out they go to cooler parties than you too."<br /><br /></span><span class="commenttexteditable">Anyway, this whole post is a train wreck and bothers me inordinately for some reason. Gawker, please stick to whining about media layoffs and the recession and New York and leave the music blogging to the pros.<br /><br />(This, by the way, has nothing whatsoever to do with my commenter account being mysteriously suspended when the refresh happened, and not restored, despite my requests.)<br /></span></div>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-41744533798253384182009-12-04T09:38:00.001-05:002009-12-04T09:53:16.997-05:00Muslim terrorists attacking mosquesWhat is it with muslims attacking mosques? Is this a chapter in history that teaches the world that religion in general is just a little bit cray-cray?Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-78219855116530177692009-12-01T10:27:00.003-05:002009-12-02T11:53:56.950-05:00The Moustache of Understanding on Brian LehrerWhy does anyone let Tom Friedman even speak anymore? Oh, yes, Iraq was the right war, and Afghanistan is the wrong one, because of some stupid cocktail napkin theory of his about the war against terrorism vs. the war against <span style="font-style: italic;">terrorists</span>.<br /><br />I bet his farts smell really bad too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span> Yesterday on the Brian Lehrer Show, The Moustache of Understanding made it seem like he couldn't be there in person because he was called in for a meeting with the President. Like, he personally, was asked to come in for a one on one with Obama. There was a little ha ha by Brian about well, that's the only excuse we'd accept, a Presidential invitation. Well, it turns out that Obama called a press conference of sorts with a bunch of top opinion writers (why Friedman is part of this group is another matter). It's not unreasonable to phone in a talk show appearance because of a Presidential press conference, but The Moustache made it seem like Obama needed to run his Afghanistan plan by Friedman just to get his okay or something.<br /><br />God, this guy is such. a. douche.Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-76129786606505699582009-11-11T12:54:00.003-05:002009-11-11T13:02:53.829-05:00Birther scam emailSo there's an email going around to birther types and other Republicans claiming that a former U.S. marine and current U.S. District Court judge as ordered Barack Obama to "prove his eligibility" to be U.S. President in court. Ha!<br /><br />What judge David O. Carter actually said to these nuts is:<br /><br />"Plaintiffs have encouraged the Court to ignore these mandates of the Constitution; to disregard the limits on its power put in place by the Constitution; and to effectively overthrow a sitting president who was popularly elected by We the People‚ <span style="font-style: italic;">sixty-nine million</span> of the people. Plaintiffs have attacked the judiciary, including every prior court that has dismissed their claim, as unpatriotic and even treasonous for refusing to grant their requests and for adhering to the terms of the Constitution which set forth its jurisdiction. Respecting the constitutional role and jurisdiction of this Court is not unpatriotic. Quite the contrary, this Court considers commitment to that constitutional role to be the ultimate reflection of patriotism. Therefore, for the reasons stated above, Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED."<br /><a href="http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/carter.asp"><br />http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/carter.asp</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5916099150829470244.post-84767028826629669142009-11-05T15:03:00.007-05:002009-11-10T20:38:09.752-05:00Cute overload<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1MxhfIhL50jgAfz9LDoTbx_B4hwGIzRvJ94qSuVdnBKT3mR6kyLxfT3lO_bIOQAOJTcJJILllndRwiSFL7dHbCsfhr9pjXT5cdNqofByvJqdQIBa9csMoAg2Wwc59NBoeLjwCwNuWFx1/s1600-h/kittens!.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1MxhfIhL50jgAfz9LDoTbx_B4hwGIzRvJ94qSuVdnBKT3mR6kyLxfT3lO_bIOQAOJTcJJILllndRwiSFL7dHbCsfhr9pjXT5cdNqofByvJqdQIBa9csMoAg2Wwc59NBoeLjwCwNuWFx1/s400/kittens!.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400713534439056802" border="0" /></a>From Vanity Fair, an evisceration of our "cute culture":<br /><br />"<span class="dc">C</span>ootchie-coo behavior used to be reserved for private moments in the home. But now, with the Internet’s help, people feel free to wallow in cuteness en masse, in the company of strangers. The serious political blog Daily Kos, for instance, is awash in cute pictures of kittens and panda bears. The Web site Cute Overload, which gets 100,000 visits a day, is all photographs and videos of puppies (“puppehs” in the site’s own particular argot), kittens (“kittehs”), and baby rabbits (“bun-buns”), who are said to go nom-nom-nom as they munch their little meals."<br /><br />As someone who has a random kitten gadget in my iGoogle home page and an entire tab dedicated to pictures of dogs, I am certainly guilty of "cootchie-coo behavior". But they're soooooo cuuuuuuute....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/cuteness-200912">Addicted to Cute</a><br /><br /><a href="http://cuteoverload.com/">Cute Overload</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org/">Cute Things Falling Asleep</a>Nic Fithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635979776701002564noreply@blogger.com0