Barrett Garese

Skyfall

Mon, 21 May 2012 06:44:33 -0700

Skyfall

Sunday Morning Read: Humans are less violent than ever

Sun, 20 May 2012 09:25:51 -0700

Sunday Morning Read: Humans are less violent than ever

CountVonTroll comments on "British prime minister David Cameron has called on eurozone leaders to either back the group's weaker economies or kick them out altogether."

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:11:00 -0700

CountVonTroll comments on "British prime minister David Cameron has called on eurozone leaders to either back the group's weaker economies or kick them out altogether.":

For those interested: A really fantastic explanation of the European Debt Crisis.

"From there, the conversation took a surrealist twist, when Kenyatta Cheese introduced Toxoplasmosis..."

Thu, 17 May 2012 15:21:30 -0700

“From there, the conversation took a surrealist twist, when Kenyatta Cheese introduced Toxoplasmosis - a disease affecting pregnant women, contracted through cat droppings - as a metaphor for memes. The panel debated the possibility that much like we often see in the animal kingdom, “viral” content has a mind of its own, so to speak, and bends the behavior of internet-users to its will. Put more realistically, the panel raised interesting questions about whether cultural memes affect our behavior - how much control we have over content, and how much control it exerts over us without our knowing.”

- How We Share Content And Why - Adrants

Actually, they’re being waaaaaaay too kind. I wasn’t suggesting toxoplasmosis as a metaphor for memes. I was suggesting that memes are an emergent form of life that use humans to propagate.

We always talk about this stuff with us (humans) at the center. Maybe we’re just nodes that happen to have a flicker of self awareness.

(via kenyatta)

Later, when someone writes a Matrix-esque film about how the sentient Internet actually created humanity so that it could exist, I want to see Kenyatta credited as an EP.

Happy Thursday, motherfuckers.

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:05:09 -0700

Happy Thursday, motherfuckers.

Yeah, I’ve reached peak internet for the day. [EDIT] -...

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:41:00 -0700

Yeah, I’ve reached peak internet for the day.

[EDIT] - Thanks to Tom Hilton for pointing out that Generik11 is the original photographer.

Congressman Maintains It Should Be Legal To Fire Someone For Being Gay

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:36:00 -0700

Congressman Maintains It Should Be Legal To Fire Someone For Being Gay:

The crux of his argument is that being gay is a choice - and something a person can change - and that therefore that person should not be protected from workplace discrimination.

Now, despite the fact that “being gay is a choice” is a ridiculously stupid and untrue statement, I’m going to go with that point for argument’s sake and ask the logical follow-ups to that question:

Congressman, why do you think it should be legal to discriminate or fire someone from their workplace for what they choose to do in their private sex life? Should employers be able to discriminate or fire someone for engaging in premarital sex? What about for non-engagement, aka chastity? How far should an employer go to gather evidence for these accusations of personal sexual activity?

The non-argument of the choice of personal sexuality aside, why do you think it’s a viable argument that your employer should be able to have any say or control of your personal life outside of the workplace? Does this extend to all aspects of someone’s relationship? Can you be fired because your boss thinks your dating the wrong person? Or dating a black guy? What about religion - that’s a choice too. Can you be fired for being - oh, I don’t know - Christian?

If anything, I think you’re making an even dumber and less sensical argument to try and cover up your own biases.

I’m serious though; I’d like answers to the above, because they’re the only logical extensions of his argument, and if he’s actually being honest here, it’s perhaps even more disturbing than him just being a homophobic jackass.

misskatie: star trek! after hours! yaaaaay! I admit to sending...

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:38:00 -0700

misskatie:

star trek!

after hours!

yaaaaay!

I admit to sending this to several ~~Trekkies~~ ~~Trekkers~~ people I know who are fans of Star Trek.

It was met with…disapproval.

So I guess what I’m saying is “Thank you Cracked. As a Star Wars fan, I feel my job here is done.”

Also, watch it because it’s really fucking funny.

rachelfershleiser replied to your post: Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67… Is...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:47:00 -0700

rachelfershleiser replied to your post: Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67…

Is it the same people?

I know of several examples on an individual basis, hence my frustration and the originating comment. I would hesitate to extrapolate that out to a population at large (i.e. ALL people likely to vote for Mitt Romney feel this way) however there is more than a little correlation when comparing certain sets of comments.

More than a few people I know complain about overtaxation, have mentioned wanting to do the same, but have an issue with Eduardo Savarin doing so. When asked about Mitt Romney’s situation, however, he’s just “not doing anything illegal; he’s just lawfully finding ways to avoid our rampant overtaxation” and such.

Methinks it’s political ideology overwhelming rationality.

thenewhotness replied to your post: Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67… I’m...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:37:53 -0700

thenewhotness replied to your post: Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67…

I’m sure some of it has to do with the fact that the name Eduardo Saverin doesn’t sound ‘murican

This may be true as well. I’ve heard a lot of people claim he “made his fortune as an immigrant in this country.” Which, while true in some respects (he is/was an immigrant to the US from Brazil, and made his personal fortune investing in a US company) it’s overlooking the fact that his family was already embarrassingly wealthy to begin with.

But coupled with the undercurrent of racism that affects any conversation about immigration (especially the stigma attached to Central and South American immigration in this country) I wouldn’t be surprised if that were a factor.

Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67 Million in tax savings and people can’t wait...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:21:18 -0700

Eduardo Saverin renounces his citizenship for $67 Million in tax savings and people can’t wait to heave vitriol at him.

Mitt Romney moves several hundred million dollars overseas for the exact same reason and people can’t wait to vote him President.

How some people in this country can be so blinded by ideology that it affects their ability to do even the most basic math, I will never know.

wilwheaton: Q. F. T. You’ve got grow into your nerddom,...

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:50:56 -0700

wilwheaton:

Q. F. T.

You’ve got grow into your nerddom, but once you do it’s fucking awesome.

evangotlib: I am allergic to pretty much anything with dander...

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:14:00 -0700

evangotlib:

I am allergic to pretty much anything with dander and animal hair…dogs, cats, most farm animals, etc. And Lindsey is not a fan of four legged creatures. So Chloe will never have a pet (unless she likes fish).

So of course I got her an R2-D2 robot to compensate. It makes the most sense because while the initial cost might be high, there are no continued costs like food, toys and litter. R2-D2 is also efficient as he shuts down at night and when you don’t play with him for more than five minutes. He is voice activated and even has a mechanical arm so he can hand her toys.

They hung out for the first time this morning. It took a few minutes but I think they are going to be good friends.

Oh man is this awesome! Evan: where’s the photos of you playing with it (I know there are some!)

Making a prediction right now: when Chloe is 4 she’s going to own ALL THE LEGOS!

wilwheaton: theawl: skidder: AdWeek requires you to share...

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:33:06 -0700

wilwheaton:

theawl:

skidder:

AdWeek requires you to share certain stories in order to finish reading them. Why would I want to share something I can’t read? And is there anything more desperate a publisher can do? Gross.

I want to talk to the evil stupid-genius that invented this.

Fuck everything about this.

…but I won’t know whether I want to share something until I’ve finished reading it. That would be like writing a movie review without seeing whether it all comes together or falls apart in the third act.

Or are they intimating that there’s nothing of real value beyond the headline and subsequent first paragraph reiterating the majority of the headline?

nickdouglas: Cole Stryker Me, in Tribes:Ascend, when my team...

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:38:01 -0700

nickdouglas:

Cole Stryker

Me, in Tribes:Ascend, when my team is fucking off/spending the whole game camped in their gen room/not protecting their HoF.

evangotlib: spytap replied to your photo: After losing almost 50 pounds last year I put… 3 rounds...

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:23:58 -0700

evangotlib:

spytap replied to your photo: After losing almost 50 pounds last year I put…

3 rounds in September?

You’re on.

Just to make it official. Looks like I’ve got some training to do here.

"I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is. Today we want to be on every screen. Today it’s a little bit..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:31:00 -0700

“I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is. Today we want to be on every screen. Today it’s a little bit clunky to get programming from the Internet onto the TV — not so hard to get it on your iPad. What’s hard is the plumbing, what wires do you connect, what device do you use. So the current Apple TV, the little thing, the hockey puck, really doesn’t do anything to help enable you to get Internet material on your TV.”

- Time Warner’s CEO

It’s not so much that he hasn’t heard of AirPlay. It’s that he specifically states that Apple doesn’t offer the exact feature set that is AirPlay.

Airplay launched in 2010. It’s an extension of AirTunes, which launched in 2004.

(via ericmortensen)

He might as well have said, “I’m the CEO of Time Warner, and I have no idea what I’m talking about.”

(via jacobjoaquin)

I’m pretty sure most of Time Warner’s business decisions over the past six years have said that for him.

I’m pretty sure this is my spirit animal.

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:06:25 -0700

I’m pretty sure this is my spirit animal.

I've had a Demi Lovato (EDIT: make that Selena Gomez) song stuck in my head for about four hours now.

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:48:00 -0700

Paul Krugman on the immediate future of the Euro

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:47:47 -0700

Paul Krugman on the immediate future of the Euro:

1. Greek euro exit, very possibly next month.

2. Huge withdrawals from Spanish and Italian banks, as depositors try to move their money to Germany.

3a. Maybe, just possibly, de facto controls, with banks forbidden to transfer deposits out of country and limits on cash withdrawals.

3b. Alternatively, or maybe in tandem, huge draws on ECB credit to keep the banks from collapsing.

4a. Germany has a choice. Accept huge indirect public claims on Italy and Spain, plus a drastic revision of strategy — basically, to give Spain in particular any hope you need both guarantees on its debt to hold borrowing costs down and a higher eurozone inflation target to make relative price adjustment possible; or:

4b. End of the euro.

I wish I knew enough about economics to understand any of this aside from numbers 1, 2, and 4b. Either way, I find it sort of fascinating and hope to use Greece’s situation to better educate myself on the macroeconomics of currencies. I don’t know why I find it interesting, but I do.