Charade start-ups as Cargo Cults

I’ve never been a fan of posts that are largely repost of writing done elsewhere, but in this case … A post by Roman Stanek, on TechCrunch.  He’s talking about Europe, but in so many cases its about start-ups anywhere (including certainly Boston) where the desire to score big financially is the overriding — and often [...]

Charade start-ups as Cargo Cults Charade start-ups as Cargo Cults

Michael Jackson, Friday night, Boston’s Back Bay

This Friday night, the day after Michael Jackson died, I was waiting in front of Back Bay station for about a half hour. Enough cars passed playing Michael Jackson’s music — I can probably just call him “Michael” for the remainder of the article — that the survey of his music was uninterrupted. [...]

Michael Jackson, Friday night, Boston’s Back Bay Michael Jackson, Friday night, Boston’s Back Bay

Adieu LOLCats. Hello “F*** You, Penguin.”

There’s a bit less smiling going on these days, and it seems our taste for cuteness has also gone sour. Fluffy and playful, the internet’s LOLCats spent the holidays posing for staged photos on the living room floor, mangling toilet paper rolls and the English language. Now copies of the doe-eyed holiday book “I Can Haz [...]

Adieu LOLCats. Hello “F*** You, Penguin.” Adieu LOLCats. Hello “F*** You, Penguin.”

There will be references

It takes blood, machismo, and a bit of a snarl. Then you have a movie catchphrase that men can rally around. The title of the 2007 Oscar-winning movie “There Will Be Blood” is turning out to be the “Say hello to my little friend” of this decade. This newish favorite macho-meme assigns a hardcore [...]

There will be references There will be references

Jews Kill Yet Another Children’s Show Host in Gaza?

The most popular children’s show in Gaza has a bouncy xylophone-driven soundtrack, but bunnies and other fluffy-fun lead-characters are dying more gruesomely and frequently than on the Sopranos. The latest casualty is Assud the Bunny, a six-foot-tall smiling pink rabbit with big ears and a dancy gait who wants to “finish off the Jews and eat [...]

Jews Kill Yet Another Children’s Show Host in Gaza? Jews Kill Yet Another Children’s Show Host in Gaza?

Québec’s Algonquin-language rapper, Samian

Samian is a popular (if you are in Québec) Algonquin-language rapper, who blends the themes of “first nations” (indiginous peoples) issues into his music. The music is great, his message is important and unique. His music videos have often been, well, terrible. Finally, a very good video worthy of his music and message. link: Samian’s [...]

Québec’s Algonquin-language rapper, Samian Québec’s Algonquin-language rapper, Samian

Is Crayonphysics the new Electroplankton?

Is this thing even a game? Goal-less and experiential like the Japanese Nintendo DS hit Electroplanton, the new PC game “Crayonphysics” is amazingly engaging, brilliant, and simple game/experience/art.

Is Crayonphysics the new Electroplankton? Is Crayonphysics the new Electroplankton?

Rosettes, other cookies, and the Italian-American Christmas

Each year, for Christmas, my mother makes rosettes. Rosettes have only 5 ingredients, yet they are nearly impossible to make. The recipe (if there were a standard one) is different for each particular oven. Timing when combining and mixing the ingredients is so critical that a single minute in either direction [...]

Rosettes, other cookies, and the Italian-American Christmas Rosettes, other cookies, and the Italian-American Christmas

Too fat, too white, too much luggage.

Since the election of Barak Obama, a new dividing point in the ever-shortening “eras” we have in our lifetime has been placed. We now have “pre-Obama” and “post-Obama” social eras. The last era-marker , of course, was 9/11. The world at that moment became divided into “pre-9/11″ and “post-9/11″ eras. Yet some people [...]

Too fat, too white, too much luggage. Too fat, too white, too much luggage.

Shooting Fish in a Barrel

In the ongoing saga of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden: the pirates have received over $30 million (US) in ransoms this year, oil tankers, arms shipments, and container ships have all been held hostage. And the ongoing piracy threatens to create video game shortages this Christmas. An open question: The role of Yemen [...]

Shooting Fish in a Barrel Shooting Fish in a Barrel
Charade start-ups as Cargo Cults

Charade start-ups as Cargo Cults

02 November 2009

I’ve never been a fan of posts that are largely repost of writing done elsewhere, but in this case … A post by Roman Stanek, on TechCrunch.  He’s talking about Europe, but in so many cases its about start-ups anywhere (including certainly Boston) where the desire to score big financially is the overriding — and often [...]

Read the full story

Posted in CultureComments (0)

Michael Jackson, Friday night, Boston’s Back Bay

Michael Jackson, Friday night, Boston’s Back Bay

29 June 2009

This Friday night, the day after Michael Jackson died, I was waiting in front of Back Bay station for about a half hour. Enough cars passed playing Michael Jackson’s music — I can probably just call him “Michael” for the remainder of the article — that the survey of his music was uninterrupted. [...]

Read the full story

Posted in Commentary, CultureComments (0)

Adieu LOLCats. Hello “F*** You, Penguin.”

Adieu LOLCats. Hello “F*** You, Penguin.”

04 March 2009

There’s a bit less smiling going on these days, and it seems our taste for cuteness has also gone sour. Fluffy and playful, the internet’s LOLCats spent the holidays posing for staged photos on the living room floor, mangling toilet paper rolls and the English language. Now copies of the doe-eyed holiday book “I Can Haz [...]

Read the full story

Posted in Culture, LanguageComments (0)

There will be references

There will be references

16 February 2009

It takes blood, machismo, and a bit of a snarl. Then you have a movie catchphrase that men can rally around. The title of the 2007 Oscar-winning movie “There Will Be Blood” is turning out to be the “Say hello to my little friend” of this decade. This newish favorite macho-meme assigns a hardcore [...]

Read the full story

Posted in LanguageComments (0)

Jews Kill Yet Another Children’s Show Host in Gaza?

Jews Kill Yet Another Children’s Show Host in Gaza?

30 January 2009

The most popular children’s show in Gaza has a bouncy xylophone-driven soundtrack, but bunnies and other fluffy-fun lead-characters are dying more gruesomely and frequently than on the Sopranos. The latest casualty is Assud the Bunny, a six-foot-tall smiling pink rabbit with big ears and a dancy gait who wants to “finish off the Jews and eat [...]

Read the full story

Posted in Commentary, Culture, LanguageComments (2)

Québec’s Algonquin-language rapper, Samian

Québec’s Algonquin-language rapper, Samian

14 January 2009

Samian is a popular (if you are in Québec) Algonquin-language rapper, who blends the themes of “first nations” (indiginous peoples) issues into his music. The music is great, his message is important and unique. His music videos have often been, well, terrible. Finally, a very good video worthy of his music and message. link: Samian’s [...]

Read the full story

Posted in Culture, LanguageComments (1)

Is Crayonphysics the new Electroplankton?

Is Crayonphysics the new Electroplankton?

13 January 2009

Is this thing even a game? Goal-less and experiential like the Japanese Nintendo DS hit Electroplanton, the new PC game “Crayonphysics” is amazingly engaging, brilliant, and simple game/experience/art.

Read the full story

Posted in TechnologyComments (0)

Rosettes, other cookies, and the Italian-American Christmas

Rosettes, other cookies, and the Italian-American Christmas

25 December 2008

Each year, for Christmas, my mother makes rosettes. Rosettes have only 5 ingredients, yet they are nearly impossible to make. The recipe (if there were a standard one) is different for each particular oven. Timing when combining and mixing the ingredients is so critical that a single minute in either direction [...]

Read the full story

Posted in Culture, FoodComments (0)

Too fat, too white, too much luggage.

Too fat, too white, too much luggage.

30 November 2008

Since the election of Barak Obama, a new dividing point in the ever-shortening “eras” we have in our lifetime has been placed. We now have “pre-Obama” and “post-Obama” social eras. The last era-marker , of course, was 9/11. The world at that moment became divided into “pre-9/11″ and “post-9/11″ eras. Yet some people [...]

Read the full story

Posted in CultureComments (0)

Shooting Fish in a Barrel

Shooting Fish in a Barrel

29 November 2008

In the ongoing saga of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden: the pirates have received over $30 million (US) in ransoms this year, oil tankers, arms shipments, and container ships have all been held hostage. And the ongoing piracy threatens to create video game shortages this Christmas. An open question: The role of Yemen [...]

Read the full story

Posted in CommentaryComments (0)

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