A friend of mine mentioned that he saw an ad when he googled for my name. Further investigation into Google AdWords shows that Adidas, the footwear company, has actually purchased “ben adida” as a search term with Google. Which means that if I want to advertise under my own name, I’d have to pay 8 […]
Garden State is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. A fantastic story, top-notch acting, and an incredible feeling that Zach Braff is going to be huge, if he isn’t already.
The Guardian makes a solid point about France (Salon syndication of the story, I can’t seem to find it at the Guardian’s site): the French principle of integration through denial of cultural/racial differences is a catastrophe. I’ve always been impressed with the level of cultural and racial integration in the US. America sees variety as […]
Apple is angry at Real over their upcoming Harmony service. Real “hacked” the iPod, according to Apple. So, is Real breaking Apple’s protection on music sold via Apple’s iTunes? Are they allowing you to share your Apple tunes farther than Apple’s license permits? Are they allowing you to file-share your Apple tunes, Kazaa-style? No, No, […]
There is an ongoing genocide in Sudan. Passion of the Present is your source for all information and all actions you can take. It’s non-partisan. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, this is worth a few minutes of your time.
The woman who claimed she was the victim of an anti-semitic assault on a Paris train just admitted it was all a lie. I wrote about this just two days ago. It’s only fair that I mention the correction. There was no such assault. There were no such passive passengers. At this point, I won’t […]
This past Saturday morning, on a Paris subway train, a young woman and her 13-month-old baby were assaulted by six men. The men were initially after her money. Then, because her ID listed her address in the 16th arrondissement (a wealthy part of Paris), they assumed she was Jewish. They proceeded to cut her hair […]
A classic rhetorical method is to “expose” extremists on either side of your position. Suddenly, you appear quite reasonable. Everyone does it. Though I’m mostly aping other great thinkers before me, I’m guilty of this technique in the context of the copyright debate. Look at the MPAA, they want to make you pay an extra […]
This week is giving me back a much-needed amount of faith in the American system. Fahrenheit 9/11 is out in many, many theaters. I’ve got issues with Moore, especially with the way he presented “facts” in “Bowling for Columbine.” I’m sure many people out there have much bigger issues with him. Whatever one’s political beliefs, […]
Two quotations from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (2 days ago): “You have to hand it to Bill Clinton: his integrity is at its highest when the situation is at its most hypothetical.” “If I’m thinking of a despot who is (1) developing weapons of mass destruction, (2) harboring terrorists, (3) violating international law, […]