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18 Apr 2010 10:21

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World: How bad is the Iceland volcano crisis for airline travel, anyway?

  • $200 million in losses for the airlines daily source
  • » Side effects: If the delays stretch out for weeks, not just days, experts say that the crisis could start having major side effects on the economy, such as factory supply chains. The volcano is showing no signs of letting up, by the way, and in fact may be intensifying today.
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18 Apr 2010 10:11

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U.S.: Fun fact: Obama had NASA frantically removing scenery (for naught)

  • monday The Orion space capsule was not to be a part of Obama’s Thursday speech (which upset many). So NASA was trying to remove all signs of Orion from the building.
  • thursday Obama gave a speech in front of a backdrop that included the Orion capsule – after the administration did an about-face on the program (which surprised many). source
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18 Apr 2010 10:04

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Politics: McCain on Iran policy: U.S. needs to be willing to “pull the trigger”

  • I didn’t need a secret memo from Mr. Gates to ascertain that. We do not have a coherent policy… We have to be willing to pull the trigger on significant sanctions.
  • Sen. John McCain • Speaking on Fox News Sunday this morning. The senator claims that the secret memo leaked by the New York Times yesterday merely states the obvious. He wants to push for more sanctions, saying the U.S. has long held a loaded gun at Iran’s head but has been afraid to “pull the trigger.” Somebody likes using metaphors to get his point across! source
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17 Apr 2010 21:13

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U.S.: Secret memo: The U.S. doesn’t know what the #(&$ to do about Iran

  • This is according to a note sent by man, myth and legend Robert Gates. While the U.S. has a solid short-term strategy for the country (including sanctions), a memo from Gates in January hints that they might be a little lost as to what to do if those measures don’t work. The note set off a tizzy, according to sources hiding behind the shoulders of anonymity. Why? There’s a significant fear that Iran will bump up against the Nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty, getting all the elements of a nuclear weapon without actually building one. (Hint: That’d be really bad.) source
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17 Apr 2010 18:48

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Music: Saturday Mixtape: Starting points for The Tallest Man on Earth fans

  • New Dylan, shmew Dylan. It’s easy to pigeonhole The Tallest Man on Earth as a straight-up Dylan acolyte, except Swedish. But we argue there’s a lot more going on with this guy. Kristian Matsson, who’s already released two very solid, evocative folk albums, is way more exciting than, say, Jose Gonzalez. Here’s our best attempt to analyze his sound through the guise of early folk.

  • 1. Somehow, The Tallest Man on Earth feels incredibly fresh, despite being loaded with elements that suggest early Dylan or (at the very least) a guy who’s been listening to way too many field recordings. It’s to Kristian Matsson’s credit that he transcends strereotype, and his guitar has some amazing voicings which Dylan never touched.
  • 2. While most under 30 probably best know Kurt Cobain’s amazing cover of this song on MTV’s “Unplugged” in 1993, Lead Belly made the traditional tune popular, and it’s a song the ex-con is most known for today. Definite strains of this rawness in The Tallest Man on Earth’s sound.
  • 3. While Pete Seeger doesn’t always wail on his guitar the way Matsson does, on “John Henry” he’s incredibly vigorous, if maybe more lyrically direct than Matsson ever gets. Seeger’s clean, authoritative voice definitely strikes a different tone from Matsson, but we’d argue they have more in common than they don’t. (Fun fact: Seeger’s still kicking at 90.)
  • 4. Phil Ochs, a protest singer to the end, was a raw and evocative performer and a key voice in the protest music scene during the mid-’60s, and probably the guitarist who Matsson most reminds us of. Both Ochs and Matsson powerfully wail away at their guitars, even if their endgames (political change vs. metaphor) are completely different.
  • 5. On “The Wild Hunt,” Matsson directly references Bob Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather” on highlight “King of Spain.” Ultimately, the era of Dylan he takes most influence from, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” is merely interpreted. Dylan’s lyrical voice, rich in metaphor, has a lot in common with The Tallest Man on Earth, but you always feel like “The Wild Hunt” is on the edge, ready to tip over at any time.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 17:26

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Tech: Psst: Sprint drops hint to iPad users to skip the 3G, go to 4G

  • With all the network problems AT&T is famous for having, getting a 4G wireless router from Sprint actually seems like a pretty appealing alternative to getting the 3G iPad. (Wired gave the Sprint Overdrive a very favorable review last month, going so far as to suggest you could probably get by with it, an iPod Touch and VoIP, and have better service than Apple’s AT&T miserableness.) It’s a good thing that Sprint has even gotten a case together that makes it even easier to switch. Excuse us while we briefly consider this brilliant idea. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 17:04

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Politics: Chicago Sun-Times columnist calls bizarro hippies a “pity party”

  • My feeling was, heck, if staging public gripe fests gives these people something to do, then great. It’s outside. It involves handicrafts, the making of signs and costumes. It’s like Scouting for irked middle-aged white people.
  • Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg • In an often-hilarious takedown of the bizarro hippies. The article, written after he went to the Chicago Tax Day Bizarro Hippie Fest, notes that he attempted to talk to multiple people at the event only to see the protesters run away from him. He started conversations with phrases such as, “I’ve used tinfoil hats as metaphor, but I’ve never seen anyone actually wearing one …”, and later compared the bizarro hippie movement to the anti-interventionist America First movement around the time of World War II. As you might guess, the comment thread on this article is best to be avoided. source
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17 Apr 2010 16:45

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U.S.: Fans of racially-tinged violence, keep an eye on L.A. today

See this guy in the middle? Reportedly a white supremacist. They were holding a rally in L.A. today, but counter-protesters got to him first. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 12:16

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Biz: Like saving money? Like privacy? Don’t use Web coupons

  • good The Web coupon segment of the money-saving market has grown greatly of late – redemption is up 263 percent to 50 million coupons.
  • bad Those coupons, however, give retailers more info than your average coupons, including IP addresses and search data. source
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17 Apr 2010 12:10

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Culture: False advertising: Your Nike shoes won’t be as awesome as these

  • Unfortunately, the blurb that goes with this Nike commercial gives some devastating news: “The NIKE FREE RUN+ is absolutely a running shoe. Shoes sold at retail will NOT make music when bent or twisted.” So, don’t get your hopes up that your shoes can double as a beat machine.
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