February 2006 Archives

So go nuts:

"Modern communication isn't about truth, it's about a resonant narrative," says Eric Dezenhall, a former Reagan administration aide and now president of his own crisis management firm. "The myth of PR is that you will educate and inform people. No. The public wants to be told in a story who to like and who to hate."

GRABS FROM AZ, BUT STILL

Album Art , almost after the fact...

CLICK THE FALSIE:

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke admitted that conservatives are lying... That's right, in his testimony to the House Financial Services Committee, Bernanke had an exchange with Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders (VT) where he admitted as much. Here's the exchange: SANDERS: Chairman Bernanke, should the Congress raise the minimum wage so that every worker in America who works 40 hours a week escapes from poverty? A very simple question, sir. BERNANKE: I'm going to be an economist and give you the one hand, the other hand. On the minimum wage, it's actually a very controversial issue among economists. Clearly, if you raise the minimum wage, then those workers who retain their jobs will get higher income and therefore it helps them. The concerns that some economists have raised about the minimum wage are first, is it as well targeted as it could be? That is, how much of the increase is going to the teenage children of suburban families, for example? And secondly, does it have any employment effects? That is, do higher wages lower employment of low-wage workers? SANDERS: And your response is? BERNANKE: My response is that I think it doesn't lower employment.

Patriot Act renewal wins key vote with 3 opposed

FEB 21-28

So go nuts.

EDITOR'S DESK

Does nobody want to CONTEXTUALISE the fact that LIBBY FLIPPED ON HIS BOSS last week, who then went out drinking and shooting his hunting buddies...? Nice to know Cheney's running this war.

COULD LISTEN TO HIM ALL DAY

Between Charlie Rose quizzing Diane Keaton about Warren Beatty (how long have they NOT been a couple? and would Rose EVER bring up Keaton with Beatty?) to John Tierney in today's NYT you'd think we'd never even gone through the ERA fight, or just spent some quality time with Betty Friedan's obits. Hey, turn your marriage into a checklist, Tierney, WHATever. Jeepers Mrs. Cleaver, we knew the Times needed ANOTHER WHITE MALE on its editorial page to tell us what to think about gender, does he know Dowd's shopping for a completely unnecessary guy just like him? Have I taken crazy pills? Why does every new Bush outrage parallel a NYT howler?

KIDS THESE DAYS

Have a lot more time for this typa thing: bloggregate, which poses a curious distinction from the "pros" on Pazz and Jop. (Here's a cool movie list.)

EMAIL EAVESDROP

Well when I was 15 I snookered my Mom into letting me spend my couple hundred dollars of savings on a new stereo, and somehow found a CU student to help me, I think he had put a Fisher 400 tube receiver in the classifieds. He did the tube lecture on me and persuaded me to spend more money on a new turntable and cartridge, which was where the sound originates. So with his guidance I got the Fisher, and his pal's two KLH bookshelf speakers used for $165 combined. Then he took me to the stereo store and hooked me up with a Philips 212 E turntable and some (probably medium-grade) cartridge, I forget the brand, but I remember him being stuckup AGAINST grado. Those days everybody was selling Marantz receivers, Technics was this new, unproven brand, and the stereo wonks put on ELP's debut to compare needles and cones. Another CU techie helped me out when a couple different tubes blew, and they always flattered me that I had a Fisher tube, it needs work but it's still in the basement. I feel incredibly lucky that I got that advice, the KLH's are still right here in my office, key speakers for almost 100 percent of my listening, although they've been worked on (crossover upgrade)...

YEAR OF NO CONCENSUS

Just out, OUTRAGED that Chris Brokaw got only TWO ballots, and it's a third my fault. Lots to sniff here... Don't forget Filmoculous ("let's get lost...")

TOOLS: AJAX

Newsalloy

SHIELD

Didn't you sense Forest Whitaker ITCHING to give Chicklis a stick of gum last week?

LOBBYIST REFORMATION

John Ashcroft Has a Come to Jesus Moment

WORLD ON A STRING

DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW

When I was a distracted campus layabout, we had more creative ideas than this, which has faded into the collective unconscious ether like that magic marker CD trick. Some of these were over-deliberate (you know how kids get). Others were more poetic, nay, pretentious -- rubbing opposites together for maximum frisson. Still, as a pomo idea, it's hard to beat. All submissions become the property of blog riley:

WIZARD OF OZ > Pink Floyd DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
GOING MY WAY > Stooges RAW POWER
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT > Richard and Linda Thompson SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS
SGT. PEPPER (1977) > My Bloody Valentine LOVELESS
DUCK SOUP > Captain Beefheart TROUT MASK REPLICA
GROUNDHOG DAY > Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe," looped
WOODSTOCK > PiL's SECOND EDITION
THE LATE SHOW (Carney, Tomlin) > Portisheard DUMMY (mono)