Television Shows about Presidents

My biggest method of knowing whats really going on in terms of television, is to download shows off bittorent. Bitorrent is the greatest thing to happen to the internet since.. email; and maybe blogging. But thats not the matter at hand here today. Thanks to noble file-sharers everywhere, I get to pick and choose what American TV series to watch. And we all know most of them suck, but still – I check out many of them for sociological purposes; to understand perhaps a little better, how the people are thinking or what theyre watching and enjoying. (in theory if it stays on, someone likes it)

Now thanks to Drock, who first introduced me to the series when I was visiting him in DC a few years ago, I love the West Wing. It’s actually on Dutch TV every sunday at midnight, so I watch it happily – half fantasizing that the country could ever have such a charming and quick-witted white house.

Cut to– me browsing my bittorent site of choice the other day, and I come upon this new series: Commander-in-Chief. And although the title is a complete turn-off, I checked on the internets and they told me Geena Davis and an actor that I love – Donald Sutherland, were in it. I also was curious to see the underlying statement they would make with a woman president concept.

While I hate to give to much blog attention to television, this show generally worries me. The whole logic that military action and war is an option when dealing with international problems is the type of irrational concept that somehow a large segment of the American (and world I suspect) population have accepted. And of course, they had to throw in that aspect of the first woman president being more militaristic and war mongering than any man before her; the Clarence Thomas of the executive branch. Anyway my advice to you is watch one episode and then wash your hands and face often and try to clean away the horror.

the People’s Space Program

It has been a while since I’ve talked about space programs, especially those non-American ones. Some of you may recall that I’m a huge fan of the space programs belonging to the European Union, India, Japan, Brazil, and of course – China. This because NASA has proven over the last decades that they’re basically the bitches of the military industrial complex and not interested in exploration and science. (not including the science of killing or spying)

So of course I must express excitement at the fact that yesterday the second Chinese space mission ever was launched. Two Chinese “taikonauts” are now in Orbit, and will remain there for a few days.

Naturally all these countries I listed might also use their space programs for military purposes, like the US. But at the very least, my hope is that the more nations that go into space – especially old wise ones – the greater the chance we will finally make some faster and larger advances in exploring the universe.

Oh and of course, a great source for space info and one my favorite left coast bloggers – the space tramp – is also a good read.

bicyclemark74: East-West Ride and Earthquakes

Riding my bike across Amsterdam discussing the Earthquake, feedback I got, and the inspectors who worked in Iraq.

AudioCommunique #74(mp3)
24min+, 80kbps, 13Mb+

Discussed in this show:

Krizushka’s interviews
Andywho said podcast while on bike please
The fact that militaries are poorly trained for humanitarian emergencies
I race Tram10
UN inspectors and the great interview I heard today
The CIA is one giant failure – close it down.
Radio Nation
Mikeypod on the Bayou
Casual Arts Podcast

Music:

Something off the Motorcycle Diaries soundtrack
Bright eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning

Flashback to my Hairline Alert

I’m sleepy and I wrote fun things a year ago, so let me take you back to Oct. 12th 2004 – cue the music:

I’ve appointed a personal independent counsel to observe hairline security. I suspect there is serious receding going on, but I’m reluctant to declare the onset of balding. Jimmy Carter and his team will be helicoptering in later to assess the situation.

For the first time ever, I met an online friend/a blogger I read – in person. Lilia Efimova aka Mathemagenic, rolled into Amsterdam from Pisa yesterday evening, and we immersed ourselves in Tibetan joy. They had the best tea of all time that I swear had dinosaur eggs in it. Rawr.

While sometimes you might meet an online friend in person and somehow you might not get on well, hardly the case with Lilia. Not only did we talk about bloggers and blogs that fascinate us, but we also let our nerdlyness hang out she shared the joy of her tablet pc with me. Tablet pc… that thing was sweet as sweet can be. I once thought they were some silly microsoft idea, the spruce-moose of computers, but NEE. This little puppy was sweet, portable, and downright sexy(if machines “do it” for you). I was initially worried that she would not want to talk about blogs because so much of her worktime is spent doing so, but no sir e, she was happy to shoot the shit about her adventures with Scandinavian bloggers in Sussex and her work related to knowledge management (km).

Overall, the dinner and blogwalk gave me a renewed sense of what I’m doing, why I do it, and that I’m not a complete freak. Well.. a partial one, but certainly not alone. Nevertheless, I know that I definitely want to pursue post grad studies in this realm, not to mention teach the people – spread the word.

Part of the conversation yesterday involved relationships between bloggers and readers, especially between individuals that are traditionally isolated from each other. As I read through Morgan Spurlock‘s blog this morning, I recognized that very situation. His documentary, Supersize Me, continues to float around the world, and has started appearing in schools across the US. But that’s not what gets me, what gets me is that Morgan is the director, not to mention the star, yet he blogs for all to read about how things are going with the film and his own daily life. He also includes his adventures, hopes, worries, trials and tribulations. Not everyone might see his blog the way I do, but you have to admit, its a far cry from a time where documentaries or any film is made and we as an audience have zero interaction with the director and understand nothing of who he/she is, besides the DVD extras which also changed film watching quite a bit. Anyway this idea of directors or authors or journalists blogging presents an interesting new arena connecting people, to some extent, who in the past would never have been connected. What do I sound like I’m preaching? In that case, pass the collection plate around.

And lest I forget= Happy Anniversary Soweto, place that gave us Mandela, Tutu, and countless others who fought and suffered for a better future. I might go out and buy Cry Freedom just to get more into the occasion.

Today’s Sounds: Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

Asian Life Versus North American Life

Somebody let me know if they’re holding a telethon on NBC or CBS or QVC or whatever. Drop me a line if every website and its mother has a banner to help the victims of the earthquake in Kashmir. Inform me if your preferred news station immediately flew Anderson Cooper or some other khaki-clad gumshoe to the scene and he got emotional about the world sending help. Cause honestly, I don’t think they’re doing it, and I will never stop finding the lack of value for human life in non western countries, by the wealthy western international community, disgusting.

Whats the toll in NOLA at… 1,000? Fugetaboutit… I see your grand and I raise you 30,000 minimum. Where the hell are all the dedicated movie stars and their money donations? Maybe they’re on the way, let me know.

PS — I bet the Pakistani and Indian military got there faster. If so, they should send instructors to the US to help teach the so-called emergency management experts.

bicyclemark73: Individualism, Public Relations, and Politics Part 2

This is part 2 in my miniseries on how Public Relations, inspired by theories of Freud and other social theorists, manipulate the public for the benefit of business and government.

AudioCommunique #73(mp3)
30min+, 80kbps, 17Mb+

Once again I follow the audio from Adam Curtis’s Century of the Self documentary, which is now available for download on archive.org.

The discussion gets into:
A response to comments on part 1
The challenge to Freud’s theory of the unstable self
Wilhelm Reich’s theories and an except from “Listen Little Man”
Marcuse and the student movement against brainwashing
The mass appeal of individualism and improving yourself
Business’s attempt to galvanize the individualist movement
How politcs borrowed these techniques with the Reagan, Clinton II and Blair campaign.
The result of all this manipulation on democracy

Music:
Sweet Honey in the Rock – Your Children
Dresden Dolls – Bank of Boston Beauty Queen
etc. etc.