Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

AP Abandons News Decides to be a Translation Service Instead

2009-07-13T16:44:53-04:00

Yeah, the news biz is changing/declining/whining. I guess that’s why the AP’s top DC dog decided to open up a new business model by running a sort of political translation service. He does so in this post about the Sotomayer hearings today.

In case you’re confused, here’s a translation of Fournier’s statement. Translations are in italics.

In the polite (this is sarcasm I couldn’t do this before, but now I can), white-hot world of confirmation hearings (I’ve got to drum up some interest in this already decided matter), senators and witnesses can't always say what they want to say (I’ve been wanting to say this for years, but now the new business model allows me to do so, conveniently when those I represent are foundering so badly). So they speak in code. (We’ve all known that for years, it just means they are accomplished liars.) Here's a translation of what was said in the opening moments of the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings (because you’ll enjoy what I have to say more than the boring predictable stuff that was said or that I previously would have reported), and what the players actually meant: (I’m a player because I can translate this.)

Cows Falling from the Sky

2009-07-13T00:03:11-04:00

Wow. Can’t wait to see if there is any video of this because it sounds, well, just a bit silly.

Chic-Fil-A ran a local promotion (I’m assuming it is local) as part of a Support Our Troops campaign, that had them drop 200 stuffed cows from a helicopter. Apparently the winds were a bit stiff and the crowd waiting to catch them (one featured a $500 gift card to Target) went scurrying around like crazy to catch them. The intent was for the cows to go to children, but as usual with money involved, the adults got into the fray and there were complaints that some of the grown ups got a bit aggressive. Not to fear, a little girl got the cow with the $500 value.

I guess that is what happens when you drop cows from the sky.

Via TV3 Winchester

Highly Recommended: A Look Behind the Curtain at the Health Care Debate

2009-07-12T10:49:04-04:00

If you’re attempting to pay attention to the health care debate this is a must watch. If you’re not, it is a much watch. Wendell Potter used to work inside the walls of the health care bastion with CIGNA, a major insurance company. He walked away from it, after a career in which he essentially had spent most of his time ginning up some of the propaganda that hid the agenda of profits over people.

He speaks with Bill Moyers on The Journal, and though you won’t really be surprised, (if you’ve been paying attention), it will confirm what the truly informed really understand. Your health care premiums are mostly going into investor’s pockets and not to pay for your coverage. That’s overly simplistic, but therein lies the rub.

Watch it, if you can take your head out of the sand for a few moments.

Looking in the Mirror at Bad Internet Video

2009-07-12T10:33:41-04:00

Too much fun. The folks at College Humor have a wonderful time making fun of bad Internet video and those who watch them in I Want My Five Minutes Back

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Sunday Morning Reading

2009-07-12T10:27:11-04:00

Some Sunday morning reading to share.

This week’s Claude Rains moment. Cheney told the CIA to keep info from Congress.

I”m curious as to why there isn’t more coverage of the cyber attacks that are hitting the US Government. Probably because we are afraid to admit something, and also because there is no good video.

Folks are spending a lot of time arguing about saving journalism and the like. I’m not sure it is worth saving at times. Here’s an example of why. From Dvorak Uncensored, some interesting “suppressed footage” from 60 minutes the Swine Flu vaccine disaster from 1977-78.

Newt Gingrich gets it thrown back in his face by a New Hampshire fisherman.

The Republican sex scandals keep getting sillier and sillier. So does the coverage and the commentary. How about this from John Marshall: Economy May Force Politicians to Have Sex with Their Own Wives.

Frank Rich, predictably, continues to elevate Palin through his derision of her. Of course she deserves the derision. Rich’s problem here is that he understands ‘real Americans’ as much as Palin, Mika Brzezinksi, or anyone else who has been tossing that phrase around lately as if it means something.

Google shakes up things with the announcement of the Google Chrome OS. Some (like me) think this will change things long before we even see the eternal beta. Some think not. Hot topic in the tech world, that will turn hotter.

Christmas Creep Is Already Starting and Should Be Stopped Now

2009-07-11T10:29:43-04:00

STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!

Apparently Sears is so worried about Christmas sales that they are already getting started by opening an online store and a few Christmas boutiques in some retail stores.

C’mon folks, your desperation is showing.

Via Fox

The Monkeys in Congress

2009-07-11T10:02:31-04:00

I’m laughing at this picture but I really shouldn’t be.

Because it just strikes me as spot on. In this post on Dvorak Uncensored, it is revealed that Congressman Steny Hoyer (he’s the house Majority Leader) said about the Health Care bill:

“if every member pledged to not vote for it if they hadn’t read it in its entirety, I think we would have very few votes.”

Yeah, that’s leadership for you.

UPDATE: And then there’s this.

Walt Mossberg Puppet on Arrington and Google Chrome

2009-07-11T09:40:21-04:00

Fake Steve Jobs is back and he’s pointing to a pretty funny puppet parody of Walt Mossberg taking on Mike Arrington and his thoughts on the Google Chrome OS and computers that don’t need anything but a browser. I guess we now are going to see more knockoffs of Loren Feldman’s puppet shtick, even if they don’t cut as deep.

(Warning some of the language is more than adult.)

Peggy Noonan on Sarah Palin: She Might as Well Have Been a BonBon

2009-07-11T09:28:36-04:00

I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, when Peggy Noonan isn’t playing party hack, she can be brilliant. She’s brilliant here in her analysis of the latest Sarah Palin brouhaha. Not because she takes a scalpel to Sarah Palin, but because she takes a chainsaw to the folks who created her and the myths they still try to force us and themselves to believe. She lays bare the plantation mentality of the party elite and the dangerous attitudes behind the entire episode.

If you wonder why those who run the political game, on both sides, don’t seem to really care about the issues, preferring the gamesmanship that passes for leadership, give this a read.

Dave Carroll of United Breaks Guitars Says No to Settlment

2009-07-10T14:03:01-04:00

Very, very interesting. Dave Carroll of the band Sons of Maxwell has decided that enough is enough. Dave was they guy who had his guitar broken by United Airlines and tried for a year to get them to pay to repair it. After getting a "no" he decided to use his talents and created the first of what will be three songs about his experience. The first United Breaks Guitars I posted about here.

Well, United contacted Dave, wanted to finally make good, but Dave has is saying that too much time has passed and will be releasing the other two videos and not taking United's money.

Amazing how simple this would have been to solve back when this whole thing started, now isn't it?

The video below is Dave's statement about the matter.

Via The Consumerist

Quote Note: Brian Kilmeade is a Species Unto Himself

2009-07-09T12:58:20-04:00

Yeah, it happened on Fox, so take that as context. My good friend, Sumocat, pointed this out. Brian Kilmeade proved once again that you don't have to think before engaging your mouth as long as you're toeing the line by uttering this doozy about a Scandinavian study on the benefits of marriage:

Leave it to the Finns and the Swedes to come up with something. Because that's a... we are, we're a, we keep marrying other species and other ethnics and other...

And we wonder.

Gin Game Diaries: Some Early Press

2009-07-09T10:44:41-04:00

As we continue to learn about the play and learn about how to play Gin, early press and PR for The Gin Game at Wayside Theatre is starting to hit and first up is this article from the Northern Virginia Daily. Check it out.

Photo by Dennis Grundman/Northern Va Daily

United Breaks Guitars: Striking Back at Customer Service with Music

2009-07-08T13:57:38-04:00

Ah, if only we all had the time and creativity to strike back at companies who tread all over us when it comes to getting satisfaction. Dave Carroll and the band Sons of Maxwell have pulled out their best weapon and posted United Breaks Guitars. The musical saga of a tussle with United Airlines over a broken guitar that went on for over a year before the final "no" came down. Apparently this is the first of a three part series.

I'm sure United can't wait for parts 2 and 3. So much so that they have responded.

"This has struck a chord with us, and we've contacted him directly to make it right," said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United. (Urbanski also said she "loved" the video.)

Urbanski said a phone meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday, and that before the airline decides exactly what to do for Carroll, "we need to have that conversation with him directly."

Via The J-Walk Blog

Gas Price Gravity

2009-07-08T13:10:27-04:00

When I drove in this morning gas prices were $2.43. Dropping fast from last week's prices above $2.50.

EDIT: Too bad in the picture you can't see the lower price across the street of $2.35.

Gin Game Diaries: Scenery Going Up

2009-07-07T11:25:17-04:00

We haven't done a 'conventional' set at Wayside Theatre in awhile, so it is interesting to see the set for The Gin Game starting to take shape on the stage. We're into week 2 of rehearsals starting today, and of course that means more card playing. I'm looking forward to the dynamic shift we are going to experience moving from Man of La Mancha to this show. We've been on a run of four musicals in a row and this will be the first non-musical we've done since last fall.