Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

Terry McAuliffe Highlight Reel

Well,depending on your perspective this may be a lowlight reel, but hey, to each his own. Terry McAuliffe is nothing if not on message and enthusiastic about it. So much so that you won't really need to watch this entire video, unless you want to see a study in over the top. I'm not sure if McAuliffe, who some say has become the Baghdad Bob of the Presidential Follies, will ever want to revisit any of this, but I can see this video (put together by the TalkingPoints Memo gang) being used in political science classes for years. Heck, I can see it being used in classes on self parody for years.

Thanks to @Mickeleh on Twitter for the link.

Charmin Turns Stall Surfing into Social Networking with Google Sharing Feature

Following on the heels of Google's announcement of Share Anything. Anytime, Anywhere., industry leading toilet paper manufacturer, Charmin, announced today that they've added Google's sharing feature as a social networking component to their latest new products. According to a Charmin spokesperson:

"The essence of social networking is sharing. Sharing things you find on the web, pictures, videos, news articles, all sorts of information. With the advent of smaller and more mobile devices, we've seen an uptick in the trend of Stall Surfing, where an individual will carry his iPhone or other mobile device to the restroom for a little browsing while they are taking care of business. So, we've added Google's new share component to our latest products, to allow you to share any information with other users who might, or might not be stall surfing at the same time."

"It is simple really. Our new toilet paper dispenser is equipped with a WiFi connection that hooks into your home network. When you see something you wish to share with a friend or your followers, you simply choose the Charmin Share button on the dispenser, which immediately sends the item over the web to your Google shared feeds, as well as prints it out on the next sheet of toilet paper. Share on the web, or keep a hard copy for yourself or someone in your household."

The spokesperson continued, "Of course you can plug into the Twitter API, as well as other social networking tools, so that all of your followers can see what you've just shared right from your toilet seat. Share Anything. Anytime. Anywhere. Just don't squeeze it."

Technorati Tags: Google,Twitter,Social Networking

Tim Russert Claims Lousy Obama Interview Was Obama's Fault

"He's mesmerizing", says Tim Russert, "I think he hypnotized me in some fashion." Those answers from NBC's Meet the Press man were in response to criticism of Russert's less than stellar and more than recycled questioning of Barack Obama on NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday, May 4.

Appearing to fall in complete lock step with any other questioner that has gotten close to Barack Obama since the recent Jeremiah Wright flare-up, Russert asked the same questions that so many others have asked beforehand in the first 15 minutes or so of the "exclusive" interview that viewers were turning their TVs off in droves.

Russert, famous (at least in his own mind) for asking tough questions didn't dig up one new answer or one new piece of information from Barack Obama, leading one NBC honcho to exclaim, "What is going on here? Can't we get an original question out of our star political interviewer? "

Russert later explained his sub-par performance by placing the blame squarely on Obama.

According to Russert. "I firmly believe Obama performed some sort of black magic voodoo and knocked me off my stride. I had several very original questions prepared to ask Obama, but all I felt myself focusing on issues that had already been covered time and time again. It was as if someone switched my notes. I think Obama wants to keep us asking these same questions over and over again, although I can't imagine why, unless he wants to take down the media by somehow making us appear as incompetent as we really are. "

When prodded about the characterization of Obama as performing "black magic voodoo" as possibly being a racist slur, Russert countered, "See, that's what I'm talking about. I would never say anything like that. Obama has this powerful mesmerizing influence that works on you and forces you not to break new ground and ask questions that make the interviewer appear weak and uninformed."

Russert was questioned further and prodded on the fact that his questioning later in the interview seemed to be more on point and responded, "I think Obama's influence over me started to flag, once we started talking about real issues. Either that or my producers were feeding me questions directly through my headset. I don't know. I'm still somewhat in a fog. Watching the tape, I noticed my eyes weren't as bugged out as they usually are when I'm asking pointed questions. "

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,Tim Russert,Meet The Press

The Empire Strikes Barack

More fun and games from the Presidential Follies.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,Hillary Clinton

US Postal Service Blames Future Rate Hike on Steve Jobs

With Apple now delivering first run movies through iTunes on the same day as DVD releases the US Postal Service is once again preparing for rate hikes to offset the loss of revenue that they are anticipating with the projected decline in business from NetFlix and BlockBuster. According to a USPS spokesperson:

This will hurt. This will hurt consumers in their pocket books.  It is more than apparent that Apple's recent move to deliver first run movies on the same day as they are released to the DVD market, Apple will certainly take away from NetFlix and BlockBuster's home delivery services. We've come to depend on those services for major revenue. In fact, we keep trying to find ways to charge those services more in order keep the stream flowing. Apple is going to be responsible for the largest postage rate increase customers have seen in recent years. If it wouldn't help their branding, I'd say we'd consider putting the Apple logo on a stamp so that our customers would know who is responsible. Maybe we'll put Steve Jobs on a stamp.

Uh Oh. Now There Is A Dave Winer Puppet

Just when it looked like Loren Feldman was going to move from puppets to children, along comes a new puppet. This new creation is the Dave Winer puppet.

Technorati Tags: Loren Feldman,1938 Media,Dave Winer

Clinton Commercial Proves White Kids Can't Dance

So, I'm just asking, is there anyone of legal voting age anywhere in this country that this might appeal to?

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton

Charlie Rose By Beckett

Genius. Pure Genius. Charlie Rose has a conversation with himself as only Beckett could have scripted it.

Via John Battelle via Terry Heaton's PoMoBlog

Technorati Tags: Charlie Rose,Beckett

Clinton Campaign Sabotages Twitter

Turns out the Twitter problems we've been experiencing these last few days were caused by a blatant act of sabotage by the Clinton Campaign. According to a Fox News reporter:

It was discovered today that the Clinton Campaign purposefully and willfully hired a small group of hackers to bring down the Twitter network. The hackers succeeded in cracking the code in such a way that the Twitter service appeared to be still running, but users were not seeing the communications (they call them Tweets) between certain users. When confronted with this by reporters today a Clinton Campaign spokesman first denied the information, then later admitted that someone in the campaign was overzealous and had make a mistake.

According to that spokesperson, 'this individual, acting alone and not under the direction of the campaign, apparently became concerned that Twitter was becoming a resource and communications mechanism that was spreading false information about Senator Clinton and her bid for the Democratic nomination under some direction of the Obama campaign. It is well known that the Obama campaign follows users that choose to follow his campaign on Twitter and thus creating an elitist network of followers. This individual had become increasingly concerned that this elitist network was being used as a subversive influence, possibly guided by the Obama campaign. The individual cited such activities that had sprung from Twitter as the NewsGang podcast, where a well known group of Obama supporters gather daily to spread lies and disinformation at the behest of the show's host Steve Gillmor. The individual was also concerned that the network participants' increasing affinity for a foul-mouthed and obscene puppet pretending to be Shel Israel would yield to calls for yet another debate moderated by the puppet.'

The spokesperson concluded, 'Senator Clinton regrets the overzealous efforts of one of her supporters. That individual is no longer associated with the campaign. But the Senator is very interested in talking with the puppet.' 

 

In other news today it was reported that a hacker redirected Barack Obama's site to hillaryclinton.com.

 

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,Hillary Clinton,politics,NewsGang,Steve Gillmor,Shel Israel,Twitter

When Puppets Go To The Dogs

Loren Feldman continues to carry his Shel Israel puppet shtick onward with an interview with Jason Calacanis' two dogs, Taurus and Fondue. I've never seen a puppet with so much puppy love before.

Technorati Tags: Loren Feldman,Shel Israel,Jason Calacanis,Puppets,1938 Media