Big names include Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Beirut, Franz Ferdinand, Girl Talk, Leonard Cohen, M. Ward, Silversun Pickups, The Black Keys, The Crystal Method, Atmosphere, Band of Horses, The Killers, Thievery Corporation, Antony and the Johnsons, Lupe Fiasco, My Bloody Valentine, Peter Bjorn and John, Shepard Fairey, The Cure, The Kills, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Not trying to sound queer or nothing, but how are regular girls supposed to compete with this? They should be thanking god every day for remembering to put vaginas in their crotches.
Juno, starring Halifax’s Ellen Page, is a critically acclaimed comedy about a wise cracking teenager, dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. As 2007’s Indie hit, it is alternative mainstream and white people love it when low budget movies do well, even though the $7 million budget is enough to feed thousands of villages in East Africa for a year. White people, especially ones over 30, also love movies that take them back to a time when there was zero hip hop influence in white high schools. So although the character of Juno and her high school are very unrealistic, older people identify with her and wish that their unappreciative children would be more like her.
On another note, the film takes place in a fictional suburban town in Minnesota, but imagine the same storyline in say West Baltimore or Socorro, TX. My guess is that there would be less qurkiness, less acoustic guitar and zero references to Dario Argento. Teen pregnancy is not as big a problem in the suburban midwest as it is in urban centers or border towns, therefore it is acceptable to not only green light a movie shedding light on teen pregnancy but it is okay to laugh at the situation and add a killer indie soundtrack.
It also doesn’t hurt that the screenplay was written by somebody named “Diablo” and that Jason Bateman and Michael Cera are in the movie as well.
Google has gone a long way toward solving the biggest drawback of web-based e-mail — what do you do when there is no internet connection? Google aims to solve that problem with a new offering that will enable Gmail users access from their browsers even when they aren't online. Of course, using an e-mail client with an IMAP connection, many people have long enjoyed offline access to their Gmail accounts. But for those of you that want offline access, and the web-based interface, the new Offline mode is what you've been dreaming about.
The much-requested offline feature, which allows you to read, star, label, archive and compose new mail even when you don't have an internet connection, will be coming to all Gmail accounts over the next few days. If you don't see it just yet be patient, you may have to wait a day or two.
Like the very similar feature available in Google Reader, Gmail's offline feature relies on Gears, Google's offline web application API. If you haven't installed Gears in your browser, don't worry, Offline Gmail will prompt you to install Gears the first time you try to sync your messages.
Because Offline Gmail is still in the experimental stage (Google warns that there might be "kinks that haven't been completely ironed out yet"), you'll need to enable it through Gmail Labs. To get Offline mode set up, click Settings and then click the Labs tab. Now select the Enable button next to the Offline Gmail feature and then hit the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page.
You should then see a new "Offline" link in the upper right-hand corner of the Gmail window, next to your username. Just click that link and Gmail will start the offline synchronization process. Be patient, the initial sync can take a little while.
Once Offline mode is done with the initial sync, moving between offline and online modes happens automatically in the background. Say you're stuck on a long plane flight and want to catch up on your inbox overload. Just fire up Gmail and compose as many e-mails as you like; when you hit "send" Offline Gmail will store those messages in its outbox and then automatically fire them off the next time an internet connection is available.
There's also a very cool hybrid mode that Gmail calls "flaky connection mode." Flaky connection mode uses the best of both worlds to deal with situations like a weak WiFi signal or (god forbid) a dial up connection. In this hybrid mode Gmail uses the local cache as if you were disconnected, but still synchronizes your mail with the server in the background.
The result is a considerably faster Gmail experience since you only hit the Gmail servers when absolutely necessary — everything else happens by pulling from the locally stored Gears cache.
There are two main drawbacks to offline Gmail in this early incarnation. The first and most annoying is that you can't add attachments to new messages composed while offline. You can, however, view attachments that are part of any synced messages.The other potential problem is that there's no way to access the Contacts section of Gmail.
Still, for most of us, Gmail's Offline mode offers a way to enjoy most the offline benefits of a desktop app while still taking advantage of the web-based interface with its labels, threaded conversations and other tools.
The company says that while you sleep, your body's moisture activates the copper ions, which help reduce fine lines and the appearance of zits. Copper is naturally antibacterial, so in theory it could work. In theory.
Flight Of The Conchords have revealed that they were originally planning to set their TV series in England, but changed their mind after they found UK producers too dawdling compared their American counterparts.
What you can expect in the new, just-released 2.2.1 software update for the iPhone (and iPod touch) is "improved general stability of Safari" -- always encouraging -- and a fix for saved Mail images not showing up just right in the camera roll.
Does playing bass really make anyone sweat that much? Put your shirt back on, Frenchy. You aren’t a bricklayer.
White people need organic food to survive, and where they purchase this food is as important as what they purchase. In modern white person culture, Whole Foods has replaces churches and cathedrals as the most important and relevant buildings in the community.
There are some regions that do not have Whole Foods, but do have an abundance of white people (college towns), in these situations Whole Foods can be substituted with a local co-op grocery store where you have to pay a membership to shop there.
All of these stores are pretty much the same - lots of vegetables, grain fed free range meat and eggs, and soy everything. They are also characterized by an outrageously large section of vitamins, supplements, and natural oils. There are natural, handmade soaps which give these stores a unique and uniform smell.
Many white people consider shopping at Whole Foods to be a religious experience, allowing them feel good about their consumption. The use of paper bags, biodegradable packaging, and the numerous pamphlets outlining the company’s police on hormones, genetically modified food and energy savings. This is in spite of the fact that Whole Foods is a profit driven-publicly traded corporation that has wisely discovered that making white people feel good about buying stuff is outrageously profitable.
As you walk through Whole Foods/Co-op you will see white people pushing carts buying things like Flaxseed Oil, wine, Tofu versions of meat, and organic kohlrabi. They also provide prepared foods, that single white people often purchase to avoid cooking.
This is important information, as this section of the store is loaded with single white people.
These stores are excellent for bringing children, as there is nothing that they actually want.
“Oh, mommy, look chocolate!”
“No Joshua, that’s carob.”
“I want it.”
“Ok.”
The child will then take a bite and realize that nothing in the store can be trusted.
Blowfish testicles prepared by an unauthorized chef sickened seven diners in northern Japan and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating the poisonous delicacy. The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.
Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.
Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.
Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.
A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.
"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.
Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.
Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that contains thousands of band profiles and is updated unmoderated by users, looks set for a drastic format change.
British Airways has announced they'll start offering limited in-flight cell phone use on flights from London to JFK. Passengers will be allowed to send text messages and use data, but not actually make calls, thankfully.
That’s right. Look in the mirror. Stare into the face of a man that just spent $250 making his hair look more “sunny.”
While white people enjoy venturing to ethnic parts of town to satisfy their pallette, most would prefer to take their first dates and parents to a place with dimmer lights, less water tanks with crabs and lobsters wishing that they would die, less ducks hanging from the window and table cloths that aren’t plastic sheets. Some people caught on to this and decided to open Fusion Asian restaurants. These people are now very rich
Fusion restaurants offer a mix of all Asian foods (except Indian, but most don’t know that India is part of Asia) in an atmosphere that resembles a cocktail lounge in the West Village as opposed to Hong Kong. Basically you can eat exotic, in comfortable surroundings. Many are not shy to admit that the food is subpar and overpriced, but they still line up for hours to get in because they love the decor and the mix drinks. These places often have names with no Asian words or characters in them and are limited to two syllables. ie) Ginger, Spring Rolls, Wild Rice, Sumile. Sometimes the names are really clever like “Asiate”, get it?
Flying sucks. Between the lousy service, lost luggage and inevitable delays, nothing about it can be called fun. But the folks at Finnair have looked into their crystal ball and seen a futurewhere flying is green, serene and — dare we say it — enjoyable.
The Finnish carrier is celebrating its 85th anniversary and, curious to see how air travel might look that far in the future, invited academics, business types and journalists to tell us what we might see in 2093. Their vision is laid out on the website Departure 2093: Five Visions on Future Flying, and it includes sleek planes that run on algae and venture into space, airlines that offer everything from personal flight attendants to pre-flight yoga and an industry that — gasp! — runs efficiently.
The owners of Barneys New York are doing all they can to move merchandise these days, but soon they could top themselves. The luxury chain itself may end up for sale, possibly at a bargain-bin price. Istithmar, the private equity firm from Dubai that owns Barneys, is considering selling the retailer, according to people with knowledge of the company, who emphasized that the situation was fluid and that no deal was imminent. Bloomberg News first reported the potential sale.
David Jackson, chief executive of Istithmar, declined to comment about whether the chain was or would be for sale in the future.
Barneys was bought by Istithmar in 2007 for $942 million after a fierce bidding war with Fast Retailing, the Japanese clothing conglomerate that owns the Uniqlo specialty clothing chain. That was at the peak of a private equity buying binge, when investors snapped up chains like Lord & Taylor, Toys “R” Us and Neiman Marcus for record prices.
Istithmar’s purchase of Barneys left the chain, which has nearly 40 stores and outlets, burdened by heavy debt and weakened credit. Barneys, based in New York, was relying on sales from new store openings to pay the interest on that debt, analysts at Moody’s Investors Service said. But when the economy soured and consumers stopped buying anything but necessities, Barneys — along with its luxury retailing peers — was hit hard.
Sales fell by double digits in December, a critical month for retailers, at both Saks and Neiman Marcus, two other luxury chains. Barneys does not report sales figures but Moody’s said sales at stores open at least a year, a measure of retail health, were negative for the chain.
Like most retailers these days, Barneys has been forced to discount merchandise heavily, eroding its profit margin. Recent promotions have offered merchandise at a 75 percent discount.
Retailing analysts say the Barneys brand has a lot of cachet. But cachet is not the same as cash. In November, Moody’s downgraded Barneys credit ratings, citing deteriorating business conditions. Additionally, the company has been trying to endure a recession without a chief. The former president and chief executive, Howard Socol, resigned in July and has yet to be replaced.
People knowledgeable about the company said Barneys would probably fetch $300 million to $400 million now, considerably less than the $942 million Istithmar paid. Istithmar — “investment” in Arabic — is an investment arm of the Dubai government.
“The price they paid is fantasyland given what is happening now,” one of these people said.
For the last few years, fashion-conscious shoppers with money or credit to burn were more than willing to buy $300 T-shirts at the chic retailer. But no more.
For the overall retail industry, sales of luxury goods fell 27.6 percent in December compared with December 2007, according to SpendingPulse, a report by MasterCard Advisors that estimates sales from all forms of payment, including credit cards and cash. That is worse than the performance of other categories like electronics and appliances, though all were down as consumers retrenched amid the economic gloom.
The New York Times examines the forthcoming film starting Robert Downey Jr.
The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi have started writing new material for their band's forthcoming new album, which they are set to start work on next month.
M83 have announced a co-headlining performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in Los Angeles in March.
Drew Barrymore is hot to make a third installment of her supersuccessful Charlie's Angels movie franchise. "I'm so into it," Barrymore said while promoting her new star-filled romantic comedy, He's Just Not That Into You. "I’m so into it—Charlie's Angels III!"
Barrymore kicked off an updated retelling of the 1970s television series nine years ago with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. Three years later, they returned with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
"It's percolating up," said Nancy Juvonen, Barrymore's Flower Films producing partner. "It's rising to the surface."
Barrymore added, "They're hard movies to make, but they're fun." And lucrative! The franchise grossed $544 million worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.
Ideas are being kicked around, including the possible introduction of a fourth Angel. It happened in the original Aaron Spelling series when Cheryl Ladd joined the cast in 1977 as Kris Munroe, sister of Farrah Fawcett's iconic Jill.
Radiohead are set to perform at this year's Grammy Awards ceremony, taking place February 8 in Los Angeles. They're up for five awards-- including Album of the Year-- at this year's Grammys. Thom Yorke is already featured in ads promoting the show on billboards and TVs.
The Federal Drug Administration has approved the first human trials of embryonic stem cells — a sign of a new, liberal attitude toward stem cell research, which was hamstrung by the Bush administration. Starting this summer, the biotech firm Geron will treat a small group of spinal-cord injury patients using neurons derived from stem cells, marking the first time embryonic stem cells will be tested in humans.
The trial is designed to test the safety of the treatment, not how well it works. Nonetheless, it's a huge first step for the field.
"It signals to me that we have the primary regulatory authorities on board for embryonic stem cells," said Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, a $3 billion state initiative to support stem cell research. "That really is a tremendous piece of news."
Under the Bush administration, stem cell research was slowed by an executive order, signed in August 2001, that (severely) restricted the types of stem cells and stem cell research that could be conducted. President Barack Obama is widely expected to lift Bush’s executive order, perhaps as soon as next week.
You know what? If you even have to think for one second, “Are these girls really horny twins or are these girls really horny guys?” then get out of there. Let’s just cut loose that whole genre. Sure we may lose some actual chicks along the way that could be pretty hot, but such is the price of battle. Goodbye forever to the borderline broads.
Summer: Who was that? It sounded like a girl.
Seth: Did it? Yeah. Well, sure. Because I’m listening to the radio. And This American Life is on. And so there’s a girl talking.
Summer: Is that that show where those hipster know-it-alls talk about how fascinating ordinary people are? God.
Leave it to a show about stereotypical white people, to actually explain how real white people act. The quote above is from the television show “The O.C.” and the character of Summer is making reference to the Public Radio show “This American Life”. White people have an uncanny ability to make the ordinary exciting and there is no better forum than public radio to best showcase this.
White people love stations like NPR (which is equivalent to listening to cardboard), and they love shows like This American Life and Democracy Now. This confuses immigrants from the third world. The see the need for radio as a source for sports, top 40 radio and traffic reports but they don’t quite understand why people who can afford TVs and have access to Youtube, would spend hours listening to the opinions of overeducated arts majors.
To explain this love for Public Radio, one only needs to summarize several previous posts on this website. Let’s use my friend Craig as an example. Craig has a high paying 9 to 5 so he feels guilty about all the problems in the world. To make himself feel better he likes being socially aware of things Post #18. However he spends most of his time indulging in the arts and going out for dinner so he has little time to devote to this. He found solace in The Daily Show Post#35, however he decided that life would be better if he did not have a TV post #28. Craig found an adequate replacement in Public Radio.
Craig loves Public Radio because it gave him an opportunity to download podcasts on his ipod Post #40. More important, was the fact that the download was free, because Public Radio is non profit Post #12. After Craig listens to people like Amy Goodman and David Sedaris Post#25, he feels like he is an expert Post#20 on the issues that they talk about like polygamy in third world or how awesome it is to watch an old lady pick apples. He brings up these topics to his bosses when they are having dinner or playing golf and next thing you know, he’s landed that promotion. All white people’s opinions are developed from Public Radio. So if you want to sound smart in front of White People, just bring up a topic that was discussed on Public Radio
Now if you truly want to understand White People I recommend listening to Episode 328 of This American Life, entitled “What I Learned from Television”. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience, and what is important here is not the content of the episode but rather the reaction from the audience. Listen to times when they laugh and when there is applause. Confusing? Yes it is! But we’re all here to figure out White People and somehow Public Radio has the answer.
(editor’s note: middle portion of the episode where the gay guy who doesn’t own a TV, talks about his one week experiment in TV watching, is an example of what White people love listening to.)
