Greetings from the 2009 Podcasters Across Borders convention in sunny Kingston, Ontario. As you probably don’t know, my friend (she would say, “acquaintance”, I’m sure) Chamika A. and I have been trying to launch Chutnification, a podcast about South Asian literature, for some months now. Don’t think about stealing the name. We already own it. So we’re here for the skinny on the podcasting world. Yes, it’s a nerdly sausage fest. But you know what? So far it’s a pretty fun time. The fellow conventioneers are all well engaged and genuinely nice people, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong wit dat.
Here’s a pic of Chamika and me. I’m throwing down some bad-ass gang signs. So no, I’m not having a seizure:
Since our podcast doesn’t have any, you know, content yet, I’m calling it a “mimecast“. Yes, you can use that terminology, too, but don’t you dare forget where you heard it first. Or didn’t hear it, since that’s the point of the joke, after all…
Tonight I had some more ideas for podcasts:
A show about fishing: codcast Another show about fishing: rodcast A show for Evangelical Christians: godcast A show for weed smokers: potcast Another show about weed smoking: podgrass A show for cattle ranchers: prodcast A show for fitness freaks: bodcast A show about Flash comic books: Gorilla Grodcast A show about my favourite Superman villain: Kneel Before Zodcast A show about failing computers: podcrash A show broadcast in double stereo: quadcast A show about affirmation: nodcast A show about nasal hygiene: snotcast A show about potatoes: spudcast A slow moving show: plodcast
I’m sometimes asked to explain my semi-retirement from the world of fiction writing. The long answer has something to do with not believing that we should flood the world with books unless we actually have something of value to add… so many authors write because it’s their job, not because they have something to say. The short answer, though, is probably more pithy and digestible: truth is a billion times more interesting than fiction can ever be.
Case in point: the recent emergence of real-life “superheroes” on American city streets. Let’s be clear here. By “superhero” we mean dudes with issues who wear costumes and prowl the streets looking to exact vigilante justice. Cincinnati’s “ShadowHare” is the most famous:
Predictably, with the emergence of real life superheroes has come the emergence of real life super villains. That’s right. We have witnessed the birth of ROACH: Ruthless Organization Against Citizen/Chubby Heroes.
ROACH is so diabolical that they have posted an ad in Craigslist offering a staggering bounty of $10 for anyone who can provide the secret identity of ShadowHare.
I think there’s one thing we can all agree about this story: it will not end well.
In Other News…
Adam S. sends us this neat commercial showing what Bruce Lee would have looked like playing ping pong with his nunchaku:
Meanwhile, Cousin Ajay sends us today’s classic Daily Perv Link (TM):
Lastly, my review of the new Star Trek movie is available at Skiffy.ca.
As a commenter on io9.com put it, “I especially like the Praise Satan grins they’re sporting.”
Now compare this new buffness and boobishness to the original:
In other news, today marks the 48th anniversary of the historic flight of Yuri Gagarin, hero of the Soviet Republic and the first human being to both enter outer space and orbit the Earth. Here’s a picture of me and a couple of students, from earlier this year, in which I am sporting a Yuri Gagarin T-shirt. It was given to me by a charming and gorgeous Ukrainian woman I was dating last year, and was purchased in the Ukraine, where Gagarin’s is still a household name:
It’s so very sad that most people in the West today have no idea who this great man was. His accomplishment ranks up there with those of Columbus and Champlain, yet the might of American media has erased his name from our school books. I once polled my students to see how many could identify the name on my T-shirt; none could. Some even thought “Gagarin” was the name of a clothing line.
So let me set the record straight. Yuri Gagarin was the first human being in space. Yuri Gagarin was the first person to orbit the Earth. Alan Shepherd was the first American, and second human being, in space, though he only did a sub-orbital flight. The Americans didn’t make orbit till the flight of John Glenn, a whole year after Gagarin. In the interim, another Soviet, Gherman Titov, became the second human to orbit the Earth, but the history books have all but forgotten his name.
If I ask people who the first woman in space was, they always answer “Sally Ride“, which infuriates me no end. Sally Ride was the first American in space, and flew in 1983.
The actual first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who did the deed two decades earlier in 1963.
In fact, Ride was actually the third woman in space, beaten by a year by yet another Soviet, Svetlana Savitskaya.
The USSR may be gone, and there may have been a great many things about that regime that we find unattractive. But let’s not forget that they were the ones who took the real pioneering steps in manned space exploration. Today we remember and honour Yuri Gagarin, hero of the Soviet Republic, and with him the legion of lesser known cosmonauts whose legacies do not benefit from the mighty machine of American media.
Hmm. Just ate a mountain of chilli and am dizzy from the meat. Or I’m dizzy from a sinus infection. I don’t know. In either case, I’m dizzy. So if I don’t make any sense today, blame the dizziness.
I also just finished watching a year old episode of Real Time With Bill Maher, in which Ashton Kutcher went on a tirade about, “Why are we sending stuff to Mars when we have child slavery right here on Earth?!” Yes, he said those words, or something close to them. I don’t remember exactly.
Now, I see young Mr. Kutcher’s point. Our spending priorities have often been in discord with our spending needs. As a metaphor, his rant is well taken. But I actually think he was serious about dumping on the whole Mars thing, and on America’s space program in general.
Kutcher was once a student of engineering, though he dropped out before finishing his degree. So I would assume that his passing familiarity with applied science would give some deeper insight into the value of the space program. Apparently not. So let’s look at the issue for a moment.
First, let’s break down the numbers. The 2009 NASA budget was $17.2 billion, which is comparable to the budgets of both Delta Airlines and Pfizer. According to one breakdown, that’s about $1 per week for every American citizen over a whole year. I spend 20 times that amount on coffee alone. Not to be glib, but as a tax expenditure on the American federal budget, it’s not particularly large.
A 1992 article in Nature estimated the economic benefits to the American taxpayer wrought by the space program:
$21.6 billion in sales and benefits
352,000 (mostly skilled) jobs created or saved
$355 million in federal corporate income taxes
$95 billion to U.S. economic activity
$1.5 billion return on investment in the form of sold commercial goods and services
This does not include the economic impact on local communities benefiting from the influx of new industries and professionals, nor on the long term economic advantages of all the spin-off products and technologies. For example, many of the materials advances of the space program gave us the stuff from which our current generation of outdoor gear was developed; the economy of sales of camping gear does not factor into the above calculus.
Since Kutcher mentioned Mars specifically, let’s note that the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions cost NASA about $820 million. The remaining Mars budget has been cut to about $340 million.
This seems like a lot of money –and it would be, for a single person. But it’s a pittance for government. And let’s not forget that this money is being spent on employing thousands of people and on building and sustaining industries that keep entire communities afloat.
Indeed, because of the space program we have microcomputers, temperature resistant fabrics, velcro, magnificent breakthroughs in distance and telemedicine, manufacturing and material sciences, not to mention a global satellite-based communications and GPS system.
Mind you, the same logic could be applied to the military, which has dramatic economic downstream ameliorations. But while expenditures on the military eventually end up killing lots and lots of people, expenditures on the space program are not meant to kill, but rather increase scientific knowledge, propel technological advancement in a slew of areas, and ultimately open up vistas for cheaper and more efficient energy production, food production, medical care, manufacturing, propulsion, communication and computing.
So let’s gut the military, but keep on financing the space program. Solutions to many earthly problems lie beyond our gravity well. For instance, I’ve argued in this space many times that the time has come to explore the building of orbital power satellites to solve our terrestrial energy demands.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Ashton Kutcher will get paid $10 million to pretend to be a florist in his next movie, and will receive 10% of the movie’s gross receipts. Zod only knows how much this overreacting doofus is actually worth. Exactly how does his wealth or his movie about a florist impact the werewithal of society? Maybe we should liquidate his assets to fight “child slavery”.
Kim H. sends us the following advertising images that supposedly originate from the 1930s. Frankly, they could be from anytime prior to 1970. But who cares; they’re neat.
Here are some fascinating images I’ve been sent over the past few days. First one is from Richard von Erlac, who plucked this from a TV guide. Note that the guide equates marriage to torture:
Next is from Nasty Nicky B, who was surprised to find this from a so-called “Conservative” magazine:
Next, I guess this is what California voters were foolishly afraid of when they struck down that state’s gay marriage law:
Not sure where this comes from, but it makes me giggle:
On a similar note:
Lastly, I wrote a while back for The Globe and Mail that true validation and acceptance of a race manifests as an option in a government form. Well, I proud to announce that a recent Loblaws online customer poll actually listed “Guyanese” as an ethnicity option! See here:
Happy Hallowe’en, Diwali and Eid Mubarak everyone. And thanks to the students of the Faculty of Health Sciences who graciously invited me to their big Hallowe’en bash last night. (I only stayed for an hour, so did not manage to jeopardize my career, for those of you who are curious.)
I also want to congratulate resident Deonandia villain Matthew “Darth” Vadum for his enormously popular segment on the Daily Show this past Thursday. If you watch it, you’ll understand today’s subject heading. Here’s the clip:
Now, Matt and I go back 25 years, but have have never agreed on anything political. Indeed, we have had more than one heated argument over things social, economic and political over the years, and have taken that opposition to our various blogs and online personas. Despite all that, I still consider him a good friend, and have watched with pride as he has risen the media ranks in the USA. So I will make no disparaging comments about his segment, even though the Interwebs are just ringing with discussion over it. Just Google “daily show vadum” and see all the hits! I will, however, offer a link to Matt’s response to some of the criticism he has received here.
Knowing Matt the way I do, I can assure you all that none of the criticism or any of the mean comments faze him in any way. So I’m sure he’ll enjoy your comments, as well.
What’s it all about? Why, Barack Obama, of course. If all goes as planned, Obama will be ordained as the first non-white President of the United States. Anything can happen in the next 48 hours, though, most notably an assassination attempt, at least one of which has already been foiled. But failing that possibility, Barack Obama will be the first Black man to hold the station of Abraham Lincoln, the President who is given historical credit for having made this all possible.
I don’t think the importance of this fact has been adequately portrayed in the mainstream media. Centuries of the legacy of slavery have finally led us to this momentous event, the ascension of a self-identified Black man (though he is actually biracial) to the highest office in the land, within one generation of segregation. It really does bring tears to my eyes. There was a story of an ancient Black grandmother who voted for the first time ever, at the age of 95, then collapsed in tears afterward. It seems that she never expected to live long enough to be able to vote for a Black President.
Barack Obama, love him or hate him, is at least a man of his time, and it’s hard not to cheer for him because of it. He’s the son of an African immigrant and white American woman, who came together in love despite the social barriers of their time. He was raised in poverty, then taken to Indonesia to be raised by a Muslim Indonesian stepfather, gaining a biracial half-sister. Orphaned as a young man, he was then raised by his white American grandparents, again quite poor. By the force of his intellect and will alone, he garnered scholarships that permitted him to attend the finest schools in the world. And as an older brother, he took care of his orphaned sister, allowing her to earn a PhD and become a scholar at his level.
How dare the GOP depict this brave man, who lifted himself from hardship, as an “elite” simply because he embodied the American dream? If anything, he resembles the Randian Libertarian ideal of a man, whose strength of character and self belief transcended temporal barriers and marshaled the resources and opportunities around him. Unlike John McCain and George Bush, Barack Obama was not born into wealth, power and influence, nor did he marry into it. If anything, he was born into a world of barriers to wealth, power and influence –like many Black Americans– and yet overcame them all with grace and civility.
If/when he wins the election on Tuesday, a new chapter will open in the Book of America, and indeed in the Book of the World. What remains to be seen is whether this chapter will be one of pain or one of redemption.
Last month, I had an entire post about one of the composers of the music of my teenage years, the brilliant Thomas Dolby.
One of the peppier and very 80s-ish songs of Mr Dolby was a little forgotten single called “Radio Silence.” Here’s the official video, which was attached to that other great 80s product, the movie Weird Science:
One of the catchy bits about this shamelessly poppy song is the refrain, “Caroline 452″, which most people assumed was a reference either to an old telephone exchange number or a robotic girlfriend. I just found out, however, that the reference –and indeed the entire song– is about pirate radio, which makes this song more than just a snippet from my youth, but a touchstone to a specific moment in technological history.
“Radio Caroline was my constant companion when I was studying in London. I found it by chance, not knowing in 1986 that ‘Caroline 452′ was a reference to pirate radio (yeah, I was completely oblivious.) Tuning in stations on my new radio (after going out to buy the right plug end for it – a really weird shopping experience for an American) I heard: ‘This is Radio Caroline – *ding ding* – broadcasting from the North Sea at 558 Khz.’ My jaw just about hit the floor. I immediately made the mental connection (looking up at Dolby on my wall.) Ah, I miss the fine folks on the Ross Revenge. (That was 86-87.)”
“Prowling through my music collection and listening to Thomas Dolby this evening, I am reminded that long before Morpheus’ beamed a hacker signal into the matrix from the Nebuchadnezzar, long before URLs and certainly before podcasts, Radio Caroline broadcast their pirate signal from not one but two floating ships into the UK and the south of Ireland.”
Sounds pretty renegade to me. I like it. As another commenter put it, “Radio Silence” reminds us of a time when command of the airwaves was limited to a privileged few, but a handful of daring rebels could break the information monopoly with a little help from technology and the cooperation of thousands of their listeners. In many ways, this attitude was a precursor to the pioneering libertarian spirit that created the Internet, and that still struggles to wrest control of the ‘Net from the censoring hands of the Money Men.
Radio Caroline started broadcasting in 1964, and apparently has achieved legal status today. Apparently it has moved from broadcasting from a sinking offshore vessel to being part of the global empire of satellite broadcasting. Oh well. The hippies became yuppies, and now even Johnny Rotten shills for butter.
I leave you with a rarer (and better) version of Dolby’s “Radio Silence”. To complete the unabashed geekotry, this one comes with unofficial Dr Who imagery. Honestly, watch the whole thing. The random images get sort of mesmerizing in the last half:
Just finished watching the tear-jerking finale of season 2 of the new Doctor Who. I’m very sad that the Doctor’s companion, Rose Tyler, will soon be replaced. I think the main reason the new show has held up so well is, in fact, Billie Piper’s endearing portrayal of Rose. But never fear, rumour has it that the Doctor’s new companion will be the truly babe-tastic Freema Agyeman, pictured below with David Tennant:
Speaking of photos, it’s time to share with you some of the photos from last week’s SAJA convention in New York. These were taken by Preston Merchant and ripped from his website without permission…
We begin with this pic of my L.A. bud Angilee S. who will be mortified that I’ve posted this image of her. But hey, Preston has already done it, so why not me?
We continue with this shot of PBS anchorwoman Daljit Dhaliwal. You will recall that I sang to her in the hallway, an event briefly chronicled in this blog.
Here we have a photo of Ashley Singh. Now, I don’t know Ashley; we only said hello to each other once. But she’s so thoroughly babe-tastic, that she warrants a photo here, don’t you think?
Remember that reception at the Reuters HQ I blogged about? The one with the great view of Times Square? You can get a hint of the view in this photo.
And remember the comedian who got heckled by the humourless religious dude? Didn’t I blog about that? No? Well, anyway, a comedian named Rahul Siddharth was making jokes about Hinduism, at a journalism convention in Columbia University in New York City, when an offended journalism professor named Prof Swami (truly) tried to shout him down. No, the irony is not lost on me, either. Here’s Rahul in mid-offence.
Lastly, here’s not-so-young Dr. Wat looking fatter than usual during the closing brunch at Mallika restaurant on Sunday.
Want to see more pics? You do? Well, aren’t you in luck! The following photos were taken by Texas’s Rohan Anand and are from an evening of much merriment:
Lord Wat and Anita N.
The Watster and award-winning jounalist Arthur J
Buried beneath much love: Dr Wat, Rohan, Arthur and Sonia M.
Rohan A. flanked by both the High Lord of Deonandia and this dude I called “Wacky Protest Guy”
Oregon’s Shefali K. flanked by Rohan and the Watmeister
Seen enough? Good, I was running out of names for myself.
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