Author: Trent

  • This Just In: The Iraq Study Group Has Nothing to Report

    Washington Post:

    “We’re not going to speculate with you today about recommendations,” Baker announced at the session, hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

    Can the war in Iraq be won?

    “We’re not going to make any assessments today about what we think the status of the situation is in Iraq,” said Hamilton.

    Could they at least explain their definitions of success and failure in Iraq?

    “We’re not going to get into that today,” Baker replied.

    After more such probing, Hamilton became categorical. “We’ve made no judgment of any kind at this point about any aspect of policy with regard to Iraq.”

    A few minutes later, one of the organizers called out: “We have time for one or two more questions.”

    Here.

  • 'I'm ready'

    Last words of death row inmates, from the Guardian:

    “Statement to what. State what. I am not guilty of the charge of capital murder. Steal me and my family’s money. My truth will always be my truth. There is no kin and no friend; no fear what you do to me. No kin to you undertaker. Murderer. [Portion of statement omitted due to profanity] Get my money. Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my life back.”

    Here.

  • No One Dares to Help

    LA Times:

    I was still looking at the wounded man and blaming myself for not stopping to help. Other shoppers peered at him from a distance, sorrowful and compassionate, but did nothing.

    I went on to another grocery store, staying for about five minutes while shopping for tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. During that time, the man managed to sit up and wave to passing cars. No one stopped. Then, a white Volkswagen pulled up. A passenger stepped out with a gun, walked steadily to the wounded man and shot him three times. The car took off down a side road and vanished.

    No one did anything. No one lifted a finger. The only reaction came from a woman in the grocery store. In a low voice, she said, “My God, bless his soul.”

    I went home and didn’t dare tell my wife. I did not want to frighten her.

    Here.

  • warriorontheedgeoftime

    warriorontheedgeoftime

    MySpace:

    My friends call me Jonah! I am Ex-Special Forces, a Martial Artist, & a musician. I have my own C.D. out titled Have Harp Will Travel. Check out my web-site for sound-bytes at HaveHarpWillTravel.com & loads of crazy pix! I live in Dansville, New York with my wife & huge Tibetan Mastiff dog, Tonru, & our tiny, black kitten Vas’ka. Love fantasy, adventure, action flicks, comic books, etc. My wife Anna is directly from Nikolaev, in the Ukraine, & is a fashion model.

    Here.

  • Catchin' Up With… Stikman

    Catchin' Up With… Stikman

    Wooster Collective:

    STIKMAN Has just returned from a thousand mile journey across the state of New York and the province of Ontario. Along the way I spread hundreds of STIKMEN and STIKMAN paintings in the cities and towns that I encountered. In Toronto I installed a wide variety of artworks throughout 50 miles of streets and alleyways. I was lucky enough to have a chance encounter in a parking lot with the art prankster Istvan Kantor, the godfather of culture jamming and the founder of Neoism. He was painting one hundred works an hour for seven hours so I was able watch him work his magic and pick up some paintings and do a little collaborating.( the last photo is of two of the paintings that were painted that day by Istvan)

    Here.

  • Pope has joined US crusade, says Iran

    Guardian:

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday accused the Pope of committing the world’s biggest Christian church to what he claimed was a “crusade” launched by President Bush against Islam.
    The Iranian leader’s words represented a setback to more than 25 years of Vatican diplomacy aimed at distancing Roman Catholicism from the west many Muslims regard as hostile and decadent. In his first comment on remarks on Islam made by Pope Benedict last week, the Ayatollah said they formed “the latest link in the chain of a crusade against Islam started by America’s Bush”.

    Here.

  • The Senator's Gentile Rebuke

    Washington Post:

    “It has been reported,” said Fox, that “your grandfather Felix, whom you were given your middle name for, was Jewish. Could you please tell us whether your forebears include Jews and, if so, at which point Jewish identity might have ended?”

    Allen recoiled as if he had been struck. His supporters in the audience booed and hissed. “To be getting into what religion my mother is, I don’t think is relevant,” Allen said, furiously. “Why is that relevant — my religion, Jim’s religion or the religious beliefs of anyone out there?”

    “Honesty, that’s all,” questioner Fox answered, looking a bit frightened.

    Here.

  • Koudelka

    Koudelka

    MagnumPhotos:

    Koudelka, published by Delpire, Paris, 2006.

    Here.

  • Banksy ordered to clean up his elephant act

    Guardian:

    The elephant may have been in the room, but by the end of its stay it had lost its sheen. Tai, the 38-year-old painted pachyderm that was the centrepiece of the first major US show by the British graffiti artist Banksy, was scrubbed down on Sunday on the orders of the Los Angeles department of animal services.

    Here.

  • Who Is Jonathan Ive?

    Business Week, via ValleyWag:

    The man who, after Jobs, is most responsible for Apple’s amazing ability to dazzle and delight with its famous products, chose instead to talk about process — what he called “the craft of design.” He spoke passionately about his small team and how they work together. He talked about focusing on only what is important and limiting the number of projects. He spoke about having a deep understanding of how a product is made: its materials, its tooling, its purpose. Mostly, he focused on the need to care deeply about the work.

    …

    After graduating, Ive joined Grinyer in 1989 in a London startup, Tangerine Design. But he couldn’t get British companies to appreciate his work. When a company mothballed a bathroom sink he’d spent months working on, “he was dejected and depressed,” says Grinyer. “He had poured himself into working for people who really didn’t care.” Ive admits he wasn’t cut out to be a design consultant, where salesmanship is the most essential skill. “I was terrible at running a design business, and I really wanted to just focus on the craft of design,” he told Pearlman.

    Here.

  • Child Of Polygamists Receives Fourth Sex Talk

    Onion Radio News:

    The sixth grader will eventually learn everything she needs to know about sexuality two to three years from now, when she’ll be given to a 60-year-old Mormon elder in Canada.

    mp3, Here.

  • X-Arcade Tankstick™

    X-Arcade Tankstick™

    X-Arcade:

    The newest addition to Xgaming’s award-winning lineup remains faithful to it’s arcadian ancestry and injects the most complete and authentic home arcade gaming experience into your home.

    Here.

  • New recruit joins Terracotta Army

    New recruit joins Terracotta Army

    BBC:

    Pablo Wendel, made up like an ancient warrior, jumped into a pit showcasing the 2,200-year-old pottery soldiers and stood motionless for several minutes.

    The 26-year-old was eventually spotted by police and removed from the scene.

    Unearthed in 1974, the statues are said to be one of the 20th Century’s greatest archaeological finds.

    Here.

  • Banksy's elephant provokes anger

    Banksy's elephant provokes anger

    BBC:

    Mr Boks said he tried to withdraw permits for the elephant on grounds of public safety last Friday, but found the three-day exhibition would be over before they took effect.

    “Permits will not be issued for such frivolous abuse of animals in the future,” he said.

    Tai’s owner, Kari Johnson, denied that the 38-year-old Indian elephant had suffered as a result of the paint job.

    Here.

  • U.S. Detains AP Photographer

    Wired:

    The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned an Associated Press photographer for five months, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.

    Military officials said Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for “imperative reasons of security” under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative’s review of Hussein’s work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.

    Hussein, 35, is a native of Fallujah who began work for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained on April 12 of this year.

    Here.

  • Fuct Interview (with Erik Brunetti)

    Addicteed:

    So I recently came across the “fuct facts” where it is made clear that Shepard Fairey aka OBEY has “borrowed” several designs and ideas from fuct, you have publicly addressed your opinion about him – What does Shepard have to say about all this? Has he/you ever tried to contact each other about this matter?

    I could care less about OBEY, or anything else they “borrow”. They all
    seem very unhappy all the time in that camp. They all need hugs.

    Here.

  • FUCT: LOVE AWARENESS PROGRAM

    BrightNights:

    FUCT printed this graphic on t-shirts titled “Mao-Now!” circa 1993.
    In response to a simple question that Erik had asked himself: “Who is the Lucifer of China ?” while brainstorming ideas for a logo that would faithfully represent Evil in Asia. Sure enough, genocide-genius Chairman Mao Zedong (pronounced Tse Tung) came up as contestant number one !

    OBEY printed a similar Mao graphic, a few years down the line. The Giant campaign was promoting cultural revolution by portraying a true visionary as an emblem of hope and world peace.

    Here.

  • Photojournalism in the Age of Scrutiny

    Ken Irby, Poynter:

    The Times has very clear guidelines in place that prohibit image manipulation without clear cause and disclosure:
    Photography and Images.
    Images in our pages that purport to depict reality must be genuine in every way. No people or objects may be added, rearranged, reversed, distorted or removed from a scene (except for the recognized practice of cropping to omit extraneous outer portions). Adjustments of color or gray scale should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction, analogous to the “burning” and “dodging” that formerly took place in darkroom processing of images. Pictures of news situations must not be posed. In the cases of collages, montages, portraits, fashion or home design illustrations, fanciful contrived situations and demonstrations of how a device is used, our intervention should be unmistakable to the reader, and unmistakably free of intent to deceive. Captions and credits should further acknowledge our intervention if the slightest doubt is possible. The design director, a masthead editor or the news desk should be consulted on doubtful cases or proposals for exceptions.
    Here.

  • Fun at Work

    Fun at Work

    Proza.com.ua

    Here.

  • Gunman's Writings Presaged Rampage

    Washington Post:

    Gill signed his entries “Fatality666” and once called himself “Trench,” an apparent reference to the black trench coat he wore in imitation of the two teenage assailants who killed 12 students and a faculty member at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999. He was fascinated by that attack, according to his journal, and played Super Columbine Massacre RPG, a video game that re-creates the rampage. He also raved about “Postal3,” a similar assault game, and listed a variety of other favorite games, most of them with themes of mayhem.

    “Life is a video game. You’ve got to die sometime,” Gill wrote.

    Here.