June 12, 2008: Chavez tells FARC armed struggle is over, release all hostages

Posted on July 3, 2008
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has declared that armed struggle in Latin America is essentially over. In the latest chapter of his complex mediation between left-wing guerrillas and the right-wing Colombian government, Chavez has asked the FARC guerrillas to lay down their arms and release all hostages “in exchange of nothing” — as a humanitarian gesture. To clarify the complex relations between FARC, Hugo Chavez, the Colombian government and the Bush administration, The Real News Network Analyst Pepe Escobar spoke to historian Forrest Hylton in New York.

The Future of the Book of the Future

Posted on April 27, 2008
Filed Under Art & Culture, The Future | Leave a Comment

Photograph by Anita Brown, 2008

One of my favorite discussion lists is book_arts-l, which serves the worldwide community of book artists, bookbinders, conservators, curators and other book people. Most of the threads are usually about technical matters, such as how long you can keep wheat paste, how to remove odors from old or damp books, and so on, but from time to time the nature of the book itself as an object rather than a reading experience comes under very thoughtful consideration.

For the past few days, the main topic has been the relevance of the book in the Internet age. You can see the full thread in the April archive .

The principal problem with digital books is technological obsolescence. I wrote a little about this in my book, “Mortality and Mercy on the Internet’s Pynchon-L@Waste.Org Discussion List,” published by Intangible Assets Manufacturing in 1997. Electronic media depend on reading devices that have changed with bewildering speed. Try accessing a wire recording, or even a document saved on a 5.25″ floppy. I have a complete book that I translated in 1989 on a 5.25″ floppy. I will need to pay to have it restored if I should need it again. The disk itself may not even be good any more.
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One-stop shop for all your business jargon needs

Posted on April 26, 2008
Filed Under Humor, The Business Mind | Leave a Comment

From The Ridiculous Business Jargon Dictionary

Do you wonder where your co-workers picked up all the ridiculous things they say? From fresh-faced interns to top management, everyone drops one of these gems occasionally. We can only hope that you’re not here to actually add these buzzwords to your vocabulary.

Al Desco adj. Describes any meal eaten at your desk (you have our sympathies if it’s dinner). “I slept in so I’m having breakfast Al Desco.”

Anticipointment n. The feeling that something didn’t live up to its hype.

Blamestorming v. Meeting to discuss a failure and find a scapegoat.

Deceptionist n. A receptionist whose job is actually to delay or block potential visitors. Ruthless with a polite, perfect smile.

Generica n. The parts of America that are so overrun with national franchises, that it’s impossible to tell one city from another.

Jargonaut n. A true master of ridiculous jargon, this individual has a ‘robust’ vocabulary, but none of it means anything.

Keepage n. The opposite of garbage.

Photox v. Improving the appearance of one’s face in a digital image using graphics software.

PowerPointless adj. Fancy graphics and animations in slide presentations that distract your audience instead of clarifying.

Putting socks on an octopus v. Attempting an impossible task. “Closing these latest prospects is like putting socks on an octopus.”

Rent-a-quote n. ‘Experts’ for hire that are prized for their ability to provide convincing sound-bites.

Spokesweasel n. A public relations agent. He usually possesses a remarkable gift for spin.

Stepford Worker n. An employee that has bought the corporate party line completely and become an unthinking clone. Surprisingly desirable in the business world.

Trustafarian n. A co-worker, typically a young intern, who is from a wealthy background but dresses like a bohemian stoner.

Yogurt cities n. Places that have an ‘active culture’, meaning a large number of museums, theaters, art galleries, etc.

Zerotasking v. Doing nothing.

The myth of the ‘leaked’ photograph

Posted on March 5, 2008
Filed Under Douchebloggery, Politics | Leave a Comment

How can you ‘leak’ an AP photo? 

Left, the National Examiner Feb. 4, 2008

Now it can be told. This truly absurd non-story is actually quite useful as an example of Clinton Rules, which Paul Krugman neatly summed up in February:

Hate Springs Eternal

What’s particularly saddening is the way many Obama supporters seem happy with the application of “Clinton rules” — the term a number of observers use for the way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent.

There’s not the slightest shred of evidence that Clinton staff circulated the picture, but it is a fact that it was circulating on right wing sites previously. And even if some local Clinton dweeb in East Buttfuck, Texas, passed it along, nothing as yet links it to anyone with any executive power in the Clinton campaign. So all we have is the word of the notoriously ethical and reliable Matt Drudge. Compare the outrage over the anonymous sources in the New York Times story on McCain’s sleazy side. But when it comes to the Clintons, Drudge gets a complete pass. Read more

You need to read the fine print on the morning after

Posted on March 5, 2008
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Are these people just morons, or what?

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