newbz' Feed

Al Jazeera & The US in Egypt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:58:00 +0000

This interview presents an excellent example of what I'd like to see more of in the media: keeping it real. As the questions are thrown at the interviewee, they are backed up by cold hard data and a persistence that only wanes when the interview tries to surpass the five or six vague policy remarks from by the U.S. Department of State. I think the U.S. is in a tight spot in this situation, and that we should probably try to tread lightly as these events unfold. We have a history of making a mess of things in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, our fervent support of Israel, etc.).
However, I'd like to be able to say that we were able to do something tangible to aid the protesters in achieving some of their goals, rather than making the case that we support democracy; it's simply too vague to be legitimate. One could make the case that our social media platforms are providing the necessary tools for organization and viral messaging that are vital to the success and coordination within the groups of protesters, but it would be nice to hear some sort of ultimatum from the White House or other High Profile Leadership (Hillary, you in bro?) that would stipulate consequences for mistreatment of peaceful protesters by the military or security forces, be they diplomatic, military or monetary. Will we see anything more than vague support for the nation of Egypt as a whole from public U.S. policy? I really doubt it. In Yemen? Probably not. We're too worried about our fanatical "socialist" government trying to make sure everyone has access to healthcare to worry about a great opportunity to support greater freedom in the Middle East and North Africa.

Big Business > Planet Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Two Faces of Fanaticism

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:41:00 +0000

Loughner.

Qadri

The recent shootings in Tucson and the Pakistani Governor's brutal assassination invite some unsettling parallels regarding the nature of fanaticism in the U.S. and Pakistain. In the case of Pakistan, we see fanatical Islam woven so tightly into the fabric of the moral culture that many, even middle-class, well-educated citizens, have risen up to support the massacre of a governor who had made statements that disagreed with the moral and legal code of a significant amount of Pakistanis. In Arizona, although the case and motive for the attack on Representative Giffords are still relatively unclear, Sheriff Dupnik's statement suggesting that a vitriolic political atmosphere has implications as a motive serves as the basis for my comparison.
Both sides of the spectrum in the United States are responsible for the current atmosphere, but in this case it seems that fanatical right wing objectives like "fighting to take back the U.S." and "recovering America's former greatness" may have been taken too literally by Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in the case.

Here's some links to articles regarding each story. Inform yourself. Form an opinion, and share that shit in the comments section.

Arizona
NYTimes: "Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics"
Washington Post: Analysis: Tucson shooting put focus on security, political climate

Pakistan
Washington Post: Thousands rally in Pakistan for blasphemy laws
BBC: Salman Taseer murder: Is Pakistan past tipping point?

Changing Education Paradigms

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:56:00 +0000

"Sinful Revelation of Anthropology"

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:33:00 +0000

Optimism Strikes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:36:00 +0000

You've gotta love the concise blurbs of positivity brought to you every year by The New York Times. I, being a nerd, always feel as giddy as a budding sorostitute when the hottest new Cosmo arrives on the shelves chock full of bullshit about love and menstruation. The fact that people continue to come up with innovative solutions, theories and products and are discovering new things about the universe and our own biosphere is the only reason that I still think we've got a chance to save ourselves from what I see as an almost guaranteed worldwide crisis in four to five decades. Enough of my pessimistic dribble to which you should be well accustomed, enjoy the read.

Hit the jump to peep the articles: NYT

Senator Bernie Sanders on the Dire State of Our Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:33:00 +0000

Banana Republic sells nice clothes. "Clothes make the poor invisible. America has the best dressed poverty in the world." - Michael Harrington

Coincidence? I think not

Cablegate Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:10:00 +0000

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder. Photograph: Carmen Valino for the Guardian

People, including myself, the New York Times, and the Atlantic just to name a few, are having difficulty deciding if wikileaks are a good thing, or indeed an act of terrorism. One thing is clear, Hilary's pissed, and Assange remains under close surveillance by the British government, and yet to be arrested/captured by Interpol/U.S. government. According to NBC, plans to meet with Scotland Yard in the near future are in the works. Whether or not he'll be arrested is unknown. In my, perhaps not so humble opinion, he'll be snagged away whether on trumped up charges or not, and likely pwned by the almighty U.S. of A alongside Bradley Manning who apparently is gay (wtf?! so...?). Can you say red herring?

So why are JAM and I rereporting on all this wikileakage?! Because it is an expression of radical freedom of information while on the other hand a breach of privacy. The debate's going, but how will history decided whether these leaks are an act of terrorism meant to topple super power(s), or is it merely an attempt to hold governments accountable?

Wikileaks pwns US State Department

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Berlusconi (left) and Putin (right) are reported to be good bros, and it looks like Vladi has some grade A jokes.

I just wanted to usher you towards to the latest from Wikileaks, which continues to pwn the US government. Most of the files they released are full of boring shit, but thanks to the New York Times, we'll have summaries of some juicy tidbits that the US State Department didn't think were going to make it to the public sphere. Secretary Hillary has definitely got her panties in a bunch over this one. Here's the first serving. I hope you'll keep up on their upcoming series; it should be an intriguingly candid look at the occult world of American Diplomacy.

Tech Update

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 02:42:00 +0000

I'm a flaming technophile, and wildly interested in technologies of all types, from software to hard. What I really enjoy is a piece of hardware with some really sexy software to go with it. Remember when some programs would only work for Windows PCs, and not Mac, or vice versa? I thought that was pretty weak! Nowadays we see apps for both android and iOS (Angry Birds was so pop for iPhones, and we android users have been pretty keen on it since crossing platforms), games for all consoles (Wii isn't seeming so unique any more, will their market share shrivel?), etc.

Today, however, I wish to enlighten thee about QR Codes in case you're still a hawb gNOBlin to these. QR Codes have been old news in Japan (or as I call it, Robotland), pasted and posted on anything and everything to deliver smartphone users information or rich content (via barcode scanner or Google Goggles). Now, when I get syked about something I usually do some Googling on it, and so, without boring you with my own words, let me suggest viewing my findings here: http://www.foxypropaganda.com/qr-codes-top-reasons-to-use-qrcodes/ They're being used on everything from restaurant menus to beer cans to scavenger hunts, but I wonder...

Could someone make a QR code that leads to a virus? Is there an underground culture of "QR Spotters?" What if vandals decided to put QR code stickers up that led curious people to a lewd website? The larger question perhaps is, just how integrated will our online and offline lives become?

Judging Books By Their Title...

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:53:00 +0000

...Is for effing KNOBZ! Case in point: Three Cups of Tea, which is a book with a cover that's just as much a turn off (for young gentlemen like myself who may or may not judge books on this basis). The title, in my mind, associates itself to such titles as Eat, Pray, Love.

This book ain't gay, corny, or boring. In fact it's what every American needs to read. Some things my fellow nationals should to know before "committing" to the read:
   > Republican or Democrat, it's hard to argue that what the book's main character, Greg Mortenson, is doing - building schools across Pakistan and Afghanistan - is anything but heroic.*
   > There are pictures
   > The pacing is fast enough. The author includes relevant historical information and context to offer the reader a well-rounded and balanced idea of what exactly the socio-political climate looks like.

*Though the Bush Administration is known for taking a military-action type of approach regarding the Afghan/Iraq wars and "rehabilitation," republican Mary Bono actually introduced Dr. Mortenson to Congress in an effort to enlighten our policy-makers on how to actually go about squashing terrorism; it just so happens that a balanced, secular education that also empowers women is something far more powerful and long-lasting than $$$-fueled indoctrination by Taliban radicals. The book also talks about how wealthy Iranian radicals take their sponsored madrassas' top students for personal tutelage to ensure anti-American sentiments live on for generations to come.
______________________

So before any of you jump to the conclusion that America and its people are war-mongering assholes, read this story of a doer, a go-get-'er. Not a talker (though a speaker). Our government's actions don't necessarily reflect the beliefs and sentiments of its people, and sometimes our concepts of bravery, honor, and duty are purely subjective and awaiting redefinition.

For further reading and research on America's foreign affairs, especially concerning war, I recommend Googling embedded journalists (one of my favorites is Michael Yon). I also sometimes cross reference local and international news media(s) with US sources in the effort to gain a balanced perspective of events and issues.

Support our troops and God bless,
Cyrus

Economix, Politix and Old People

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Old lady pwning n00bz.

As an American abroad, it has been hard for me to get a grasp on what the recent election meant for the U.S. However, I have been doing my metaphorical homework in order to get a better idea. What I have basically surmised is that we are going to be stuck for the next two years in a kind of political deadlock, and might undo some of the progress that was made over the last two years. I find this particularly unsettling, especially as China and India continue to see double digit GDP growth while the U.S. is mired in an insufficiently stimulated economy. Spending money, in my opinion, on education (an area in which we are falling behind rapidly on a global level), our infrastructure (which is shit-tastic to say the very least) and on projects for sustainability (renewable energies, improved public transit, greener cities, etc.) would all be good ways to boost job growth as well as our ability to continue to play the part of world leader for the next 50 years or so. The national consensus seems to be that the government needs to tighten its belt, and that we can't afford to go any further into debt, but, as basic keynesian economic theory suggests, in order for us to leave this recession more quickly government spending needs to rise.

This, I fear, is more or less impossible at this point, and I am increasingly pessimistic about the future of the U.S.'s ability as a nation to progress, and not stall and peter out as other rising powers leave our bitch-asses in the dust. An article I'd like to recommend discusses the fervent anti-Democrat voting pattern amongst senior citizens. This seems normal, since seniors tend to be more conservative than other voters. The article also points out that, more often than not, in hard times people tend to turn inward rather than thinking of the bigger picture and of the long term effects of their actions, a sort of survival mode motif. Seniors, understandably, tend not to focus on the long term effects of their actions. I'm going to take this one step further and propose that we may see a continued stagnation of U.S. politics and policy led by the growing population of aging Americans that, if they follow in the footsteps of the current elderly population, will not only be adamantly against change, but will also fail to think of the mess they are leaving their various generations of offspring. For example, changes in the healthcare system provide a net gain for seniors, and yet they stand solidly against any progress recently made. What I'm saying is essentially: More old people+seniors' reluctance to support any sort of legal progress=the U.S. loses out on a large amount of its global clout and competitive edge. I'm no expert. I don't pretend to be one, that's just my two-fucking-cents.

How to Know I'm Still American

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:50:00 +0000

I've got apps, ninja,
   everything from fruit slice to paypal for ma ebayz

   My PSP's only purpose is to transfer pix across PRO Micro cards (ghey!) from Sony Cybershot DSC-H20 to compewtur.

   apps, foo, that allow me to be lazier: computer remote control on my phone. Don't think I won't get that bluetooth to open Gary the Garage. It's automatic, nuff said.

   I can has cheezeburgerz.

An Environment and Climate Update for n00bz

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 12:44:00 +0000

Take this planet you silly white child, your forefathers effed it up just for you!

Here are two fairly recent articles that struck me as particularly important as of late. The first, from the New York Times, is about the Montreal Protocol, a piece of climate legislation, which pushed for the elimination of CFCs (a propellent which is extremely harmful to the ozone layer) upon which there was unanimous international agreement. The treaty was passed during the Reagan era. WHAT? Yeah that's right, even the fucking Reagan administration was down. Let's see if the current international regime can modify the treaty, and help to crack down on the use of ozone-damaging refrigerants. It'd be a relatively easy way to buy us some more time climate-wise. (Side-note: if you don't believe that human beings are doing sufficient damage to the global climate at the moment, you should return to your daily dose of FOX News propaganda, and go fuck yourself).

The second article I'd like recommend is from the Economist, my preferred news-source. It discusses Geo-engineering, and the various ways that scientists and corporations are working on to slow or even reverse global climate change. In my opinion, we should hit climate change at the root of the problem, and do our best to slow global population growth by educating females worldwide (the only proven large-scale way to drop population growth). Although I am a pessimist, to the point that I seriously question the morality of bringing children into this world, I am fairly optimistic about mankind's ability to use technology to, at the very least, stave off the worst elements of global warming with some last minute technological fixes. Nonetheless, I'd prefer to live in a world without a sulfur choked atmosphere. Another striking thing about these remedies, which the article also addresses, is their relatively low cost. This is simultaneously agreeable and worrisome: a single corporation or nation could afford to implement one of these programs. This means that a global accord involving a massive amount of resources, money and man-power would not be necessary. Great, so we won't have to wait around for all of the global bureaucracy to come to some sort of feeble agreement while millions of Bangladeshis pour into refugee camps. On the other hand we could be faced with a rogue nation, ridiculously overpopulated Bangladesh in the interest of the example, that decides to take matters into its own hands when the shit hits the fan for most of its constituents. Read about it, and decide for yourself.

We at newbz' feed encourage any and all spirited debate. You're comments are your voice in this still nascent forum, and they assure us that we're not alone in our lil' corner of cyberspace.

Thai Food - From n00b to l33t

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 05:19:00 +0000

Asian food is wildly popular throughout the world. Thai food is exceptionally popular, and this little denubification is for westerners who may be able to use a few pointers with regards to this oh so exotic cuisine.

- Thais use fork and spoon to eat everything except for noodle soup. If and when you ask for chopsticks instead of fork and spoon to go with your kao putt, or fried rice, you're not looking cultured, you're looking like a total gnoblin. Why would you make eating something more difficult for yourself anyway?
- Phad/pad Thai - is Thailand's signature dish plain and simple. It's authentic, and everyone loves it. But in case you do want to come off as not so uncultured while ordering at a Thai restaurant, pronounce it as "putt" like in golf. I believe the first dubbers intended pahd, but please, for your sake and Thais' don't say "pad Thai," and definitely don't say "fad Thai."
> The Thai language has 44 consonants and 30 vowels causing some to literally get lost in translation.
- Stars. It seems like this is something most Asian cuisines have adopted in order to gauge degrees of spice.
> Dao is Thai for star; 1 = neung; 2 = song; 3 = sahm; 4 = see, and 5, well if you dare go five, the word is ha*

Phad Grapao - Ground pork w/holy basil stir fry - ez 2 make even 4 n00bz

*Fun fact: because 5 is pronounced ha in Thai, Thai texters and l33t haxorz commonly type 555 to denote "hahaha" or "lol" in l33tspeak

If you don't know what l33t, 1337, or LEET means and haven't googled it by now, then you may just be a lost cause nubzor.

Photos of a real life n00b. Your Walter

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:07:00 +0000

For me, Noshavember = Noobvember

Maybe in 20 years my beard will grow where these lonesome strands poke through

Open ur blowhole

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's been a long time comin now, and I think you might've sensed it (months ago before I attained a gf)... that I would be coming out with a fully live and sexy BLOG. Considering how sexy it's gonna be, however, I couldn't rely on just me simple self. So I've recruited Jimmy Mahady to be my co-blogger. Our mission is quite simple, and stems from the first-hand experience of interacting with [sic] n00bz.

n00b is not a new term. If you think it is, you are a raging n00basaurus rex, and absolutely need to read this blog ASAP. My attack will be on technology, drinking, etc. Jim's will be social intercourse, and human behavioralisms (which I don't know a fuck about). In other words: We'll be versing you, us, and our generation on wtf's important, and why. Stay tuned ;)

Sincerely yours,
CWH & JAM