Breakingdancing In Seoul

Hip hop is as American as what? Baseball. Hip hop is universal as music is universal. Hip-hop dancing -- break dancing and hip hop culture are -- have gone around the world.

In Seoul, South Korea, hip hop teams from around the world squared off / battled it out for the championship. See the video.

Why is this significant? Does the world need more competition? Let's not focus on the competition, others might, but that is not my focus. It is the celebration of music and dance that moves me to make this post. The world gets smaller. Young people see what other young people do, and if it looks like fun, they do it too. Cultures come together, whether it's is baseball, or music and dance. If people are having fun, if people are happy, if what people do is cool, then it is cool. And a little breakdancing in Seoul, is good for the world's soul.

Paris Hilton Busted and Sprung in South Africa

I didn't know that Paris Hilton was a football fan. She was seen at the World Cup, late last night, Friday, she was allegedly seen smoking pot and was detained by authorities outside the World Cup Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, for alleged marijuana possession. See the video.

This event got more coverage than some of the matches. It made all the news outlets, became a hot item on the web. Why? This is Paris Hilton. She's little Miss, Naughty as a big girl all grown up. When the news of her arrest went around the world, some wags said. that they hoped the South Africans would keep her. What would they have done with her? She went before a judge and he right properly dropped all drug charges and dismissed the case. Why convict the party girl? If the judge had done that, he would have had to make room for her in somewhere, maybe in a detention facility. Why keep her sticking around, when there is a chance to get her to leave. Any way, Ms. Hilton has a way of keeping herself in the news. She hadn't been front pages lately, until now.

Something P.T. Barnum would have thought of

From AFP --" Some well-heeled Russians hoping for immortality are ready to pay a fortune to have their brains frozen when they die, until future technology allows them to continue their lives when the organs are transplanted into a new bodies and resuscitated." See the video.

Are you kidding? Would any body who is using his brain spend $10K to have their brains frozen to be thawed out in a zillion years? Will their be a habitable planet earth in a hundred years? Check with BP on that one. Let's suppose there is a planet earth in a few years down the road and around the bend, can anybody who hasn't bumped their head count on their frozen brains being thawed out and transplanted into a mechanical body? This sounds like something P.T. Barnum would have schemed, before he went legit. In the days when the motto he lived by was -- "A sucker's born every minute."

Facebook & the Boycott BP Page

BP, the big oil giant, mega polluter, destroyer of the Gulf Coast eco-system, is such a sneaky bunch of characters, that when a Facebook page critical of the company, a  Facebook page that calls for a boycott of the oil giant, a Facebook page that has over 700 thousand members, disappears from the net, without a warning, all fingers pointed to the BP PR machine. BP has brought off Facebook! -- so went the word across cyberspace.

Oh no, says Facebook. Our automatic robots did it. Not BP. Not us. No humans were involved. It was our automatic system.

Some bad droids? Bad robots? Whatever.

Yes, blame the automatic system. Facebook doesn't want an enormous out cry. Facebook said that once humans took a peek at the page, it was restored. It was only down a brief moment. In so many words Facebook is telling the world of the net -- Let the incident be forgotten. Besides, you conspiracy theorists, where's your proof? You have none. Just suspicions.

Well, if BP was behind the disappearing page, its little trick backfired. Because now more people know about the boycott.

Air Pollution

The Post-Newsweek Stations television group is offering free air time to candidates for the upcoming 2010 election. This TV group is owned by the Washington Post Company and has broadcast stations in Florida, Texas and Michigan, in what are called battleground states, Florida and Michigan, are swing states during national elections, and Texas could be an important decider in 2012, because of its growing Hispanic vote..This year, 2010, there are important gubernatorial and congressional races. The outcome of the congressional races could determine the control of Congress.

One might think the Post company's offer of free time to the pols is deserving of civic kudos. Think of it. The Post will be polluting up its stations with political junk, and is giving fair warning to the public to avoid a foul pollution area. To most folks, free is better than paid, so a lot of the stuff that would be scattered across the broadcast air waves and the cable box will congregate in one place. A place marked to be avoided. But think further. The Free media only frees up more money for paid media, and the pols will be able to dump more junk on the other outlets, thus polluting the broadcast air waves and cramming the cable box with political spam. Thanks a lot, Washington Post Company!

June Wedding Colts-Style

Well, people get married in fish tanks, they exchange their vows with a robot presiding, a couple getting married at the Indianapolis Colts Stadium --well is --so what? It's June and June is for weddings and graduating from school, and waiting for winter sports to end -- ice hockey and basketball too. Any way, the Associated Press reports that a pair of "football fans decided to show their love for the Indianapolis Colts, and each other," -- It may have been better if in the news item their love for each other was mentioned before their love for the Indianapolis Colts -- but then the point of the article is to show the odd things people do, and Mr and Miss so and so getting married in June isn't odd, unless the ceremony takes place in an unusual venue, or is presided over by an unusual presider -- So the Mr. and Miss by holding their wedding at Lucas Oil Stadium made the news. "The ceremony, " the Associated Press reports, " was complete with a horseshoe-shaped bouquet." See the video.

Cheeseburger Diplomacy

An Open Post to The Pres:

Mister President, why did you take that Russian dude to a cheeseburger joint? What were you doing? Eating a cheeseburger? Sir, how does that look? You must have heard of the First Lady's obesity project? It's has been in the news, sir.

Okay, you shared the fries. Okay, you couldn't have just ordered a salad. Certainly not after that general -- rather now ex-general -- practically called you a wimp. He said the White House was full of wimps. You showed him the door and the boot. But what are you going to tell the First Lady? You do know the kids of America are always watching. And a good cheeseburger does taste good. But you are the President, and you have to lead and to sacrifice -- It's up to you, sir, to lead America away from the awful good tasting, fattening burger and fries to the bland salad bar. And only, sir, oil and vinegar toppings, no fattening dressings for the salad  -- The very bland salad bar!

I know you are a capable man and you have the diplomacy all worked out. When you see the First Lady, you will probably smile and say something like -- "Cheese?" Or won't say anything. Will just smile.

Cellphone Radiation Levels?

Yes, I do not trust cell phone manufactures who tell us that cellphones are perfectly safe, and that we should not worry about the radiation the phones give off. I waited for years before I got a cell phone. With the nearly disappearance of street phone booths and boxes, having a cellphone has become a necessity.

Of course when I use a cellphone, I use an earplug with a long cord,  and I hold the phone as far from my body as possible. I only take the phone with me when I have to be near a phone.

Yesterday, Tuesday, San Francisco adopted a city ordinance requiring retailers to post the radiation levels of mobile phones. This city with progressive leaders is the first U.S. jurisdiction to respond to increased consumers concerns over the link between cellphone use and cancer. Several European countries are already warning cellphones users of the risks those cellphones pose for long-term users and children.

Kudos for San Francisco.

China's One Child Policy

The geniuses who thought up the one child policy in China should have foreseen what it would mean -- a nation of boys and boys and boys, and few girls. In Chinese culture the male is the center of the family. Males are essential to keep the family name going. Girls grow up and become part of her husband's family. The family of girls and no boys die out, and then who will look out for the family's ancestors? Since couples can only legally have one child,  couples do everything they can to make sure that the one child, they can have, is a boy. The Chinese government says its so-called "one-child policy" is succeeding in reining in its population. Of course, you need boy and you need girl to make baby. If there aren't enough girls, then some of the boys don't get to make babies. Some of the boys are left to live lonely lives, unless they are able to find comfort with other boys. So there, you have it, the Chinese so-called "one child policy" is gay.

Guide For A Gentleman?

The Associated Press report titled, "A Short Guide for the Modern Gentleman" -- I saw this video and had to comment on the topic.

What makes a gentleman in the 21st century? A clean set of clothing, a good body deodorant, and the good manners not to break wind in public. Breaking wind and sitting on the throne are things a gentleman does in private. Also, a gentleman should either have a job or a pension that supports his expenses. A gentleman is not a moocher. He lives within his means by making use of his own resources. If a gentleman choose to make a wager, he wagers no more than pocket change, and never more than he can afford to lose. A gentleman is not a welcher. A gentleman has at least one friend, because friendship is healthy. This could be a lady friend, or a gentleman friend, or it could be a well trained and friendly dog.

That's enough advice.

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