Reading this piece about whether the US government would actually be able to stop paying its bills (re the raising of the debt threshold), made me think of American Bureaucracy as a mix of Stanley Kubrick's «Dr. Strangelove» and Terry Gilliam's «Brazil». Which leads to the question: Why aren't there more films made about paper pushers? And lest we forget, Dr. Strangelove's real name was Doktor Merkwürdigliebe. Say no more!
18. juli 2011
16. juli 2011
Anti-fashion in the air
Dear me! Disse jakkene burde vært stoppet FØR produksjon og erklært som fashion-faux-pas! Dersom noe kan kalles visuell forsøpling så må det være jakkene til denne familien! Sjekk også den heslige rosa oversized rullekofferten til moren. Ikke bare blir det trangt i setene men oppi bagasjehyllen også. Her er folk som IKKE tar hensyn til sine medreisende. Men så er vel det da også nesten selve poenget med å reise med cheap & cheerful lavprisselskaper.
12. juli 2011
The State We're In
In conjunction with yesterday's news about the emerging crisis in Italy – and thus the Eurozone – one of the readers neatly sums up the financial crisis in one of the comments of this Guardian piece:
1. Governments spend too much.
2. People lend money to them that they can't pay back.
3. Taxpayers foot the bill.
4. See (1)
1. Governments spend too much.
2. People lend money to them that they can't pay back.
3. Taxpayers foot the bill.
4. See (1)
7. juli 2011
The Little Handbook for Aspiring Phone Hackers
What I am wondering in all the hoopla around the phone hacking story is why anyone would be surprised at all? And also how absurd it is to contain this to News Corporation, as if not every tabloid (and probably some mid-market and broadsheet papers too) were involved in similar practises.
Beyond that, there is of course the question of who is behind the leaks? I mean, come on, no one leaks this without some sort of motive. Is it power? Is it hatred of Murdoch? What are the financial rewards for others if Murdoch empire crumbles? That's obviously (or maybe not?) something for someone in media to follow up. That is, if they can get beyond their own feigned surprise and catering to all kinds of different «victims» of this crime. Oh puleeze!
I don't care one iota about Rupe. But I don't necessarily believe that anyone better than him is going to replace him as media overlord.
Let's also take this down to the level where it really counts, the personal level. How many people have already (with or without their knowledge) experience that their friends have spied on them via their computers or mobile phones? I'm pretty sure it's more than we dare think.
Lot of good material there for both good reporters and fiction writers with perspective and philosophical depth to ruminate about for years to come.
But for now, one brief look across the Channel to Le Frogs, and I cannot express in words how much I hope that the useless French socialist party nominate DSK as their prez-candidate. And even better if both he and Marine Le Pen outscore Sarko the sex dwarf in the 1st round, leaving the ridiculous French to choose between the black plague and cholera. I would so so so so so love that scenario! C'est fantastique! The Western world deserves nothing less!
Marx was indeed right when he said that history is being rewritten as farce. Now for the sake of Hugh Grant (another silly figure in this and most any other context) and all the other angry people out there, let's just hope that they all move on soon and realise the limitations of their anger. I mean, life will go on pretty much as before. And we wouldn't want to miss the follow-up story on whether Cheryl and Ashley Cole will get back together again, now would we?
Beyond that, there is of course the question of who is behind the leaks? I mean, come on, no one leaks this without some sort of motive. Is it power? Is it hatred of Murdoch? What are the financial rewards for others if Murdoch empire crumbles? That's obviously (or maybe not?) something for someone in media to follow up. That is, if they can get beyond their own feigned surprise and catering to all kinds of different «victims» of this crime. Oh puleeze!
I don't care one iota about Rupe. But I don't necessarily believe that anyone better than him is going to replace him as media overlord.
Let's also take this down to the level where it really counts, the personal level. How many people have already (with or without their knowledge) experience that their friends have spied on them via their computers or mobile phones? I'm pretty sure it's more than we dare think.
Lot of good material there for both good reporters and fiction writers with perspective and philosophical depth to ruminate about for years to come.
But for now, one brief look across the Channel to Le Frogs, and I cannot express in words how much I hope that the useless French socialist party nominate DSK as their prez-candidate. And even better if both he and Marine Le Pen outscore Sarko the sex dwarf in the 1st round, leaving the ridiculous French to choose between the black plague and cholera. I would so so so so so love that scenario! C'est fantastique! The Western world deserves nothing less!
Marx was indeed right when he said that history is being rewritten as farce. Now for the sake of Hugh Grant (another silly figure in this and most any other context) and all the other angry people out there, let's just hope that they all move on soon and realise the limitations of their anger. I mean, life will go on pretty much as before. And we wouldn't want to miss the follow-up story on whether Cheryl and Ashley Cole will get back together again, now would we?
3. juli 2011
Baseball i åndenes makt
Selv for oss ikke-baseball-fan, så er dette en fantastisk story om LA Dodgers og galskapen i hjertet av den amerikanske drømmen:
«Among the people found to have been on the Dodgers' payroll is a Russian-born psychic whose sole job was to watch games on his television in the Boston suburbs and send out positive vibes so that they would win more often.»
Dette minner meg om Naturlovspartiet som var for EU fordi det gav så gode vibrasjoner!
You couldn't make it up!
«Among the people found to have been on the Dodgers' payroll is a Russian-born psychic whose sole job was to watch games on his television in the Boston suburbs and send out positive vibes so that they would win more often.»
Dette minner meg om Naturlovspartiet som var for EU fordi det gav så gode vibrasjoner!
You couldn't make it up!
2. juli 2011
Rape and the Maiden
Ser for meg at det vil bli skapt utallige kulturprodukter basert på DSKs eskapader – basert på medieståheien rundt ham og stuepiken samt hans hanky-panky med diverse andre mer eller mindre prominente fruentimmere.
Bare å glede seg til masse sirkus fremover. For man vil jo tro at DSK nå vil legge inn litt ekstra på å forsvare æren sin og gjenvinne tillit. For min del bare gleder jeg meg dersom han skulle bli valgt til prez i France & deretter blir møtt av sinte kvinnesaksdemonstranter overalt hvor han reiser: «Rapist! Rapist!»
Eller et nesten like underholdende scenario: DSK og Marine Le Pen går videre fra 1. runde i prez-valget – og MLP vinner!
Bare å glede seg til masse sirkus fremover. For man vil jo tro at DSK nå vil legge inn litt ekstra på å forsvare æren sin og gjenvinne tillit. For min del bare gleder jeg meg dersom han skulle bli valgt til prez i France & deretter blir møtt av sinte kvinnesaksdemonstranter overalt hvor han reiser: «Rapist! Rapist!»
Eller et nesten like underholdende scenario: DSK og Marine Le Pen går videre fra 1. runde i prez-valget – og MLP vinner!
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