THIS IS NOT ME

Here's the funny thing. This picture IS NOT ME.
I've had THREE people now tell me that I have a Doppelgänger.
His name is Matt McCarthy and he's a comedian/actor from New York.
You can see more pics here at his myspace page. Now, some photos are closer than others, but a few are just uncanny. I've spoken to my mother about this and she assures me Heather and I don't have a hidden triplet.

24

new season of 24 coming soon. thanks Taj for the heads-up.

Jimmy Carter

This quote is in response to a question from Bob Edwards on whether our "image problem" around the world is fixable.

CARTER: In my opinion, the next president could make major repairs the first day in office, the first 30 minutes in office. In the inaugural address, if the next president would announce:

The United States of America is rejecting pre-emptive war as a policy, and we will not attack another nation unless our own security is in danger, as has been the policy of every president since, since uh, George Washington until recently.

The United States will observe every nuclear arms control agreement that has been negotiated since Eisenhower, and we’ll comply with a non-proliferation treaty by working to bring the nuclear arsenals to zero.

The United States will never torture another prisoner, and we will comply with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of those who are incarcerated. We’ll make sure that they have knowledge of their own crimes and that they have legal counsel and they have a right to outside contact with their families.

The United States will be at the forefront of controlling global warming, and will work with other nations persistently and enthusiastically to reduce the threat to the environment.

The United States will raise high the banner of human rights. From now on, we’ll be the champions of human rights.

The United States will take a balanced position in the Middle East and negotiate without ceasing to bring peace between Israel and Israel’s neighbors with justice to both sides.

Those kind of statements, which I think are rational and defensible and would be very unequivocal, I think, would arouse the admiration of Americans, and would also help to alleviate the concerns that are now so patently obvious in other people’s attitude toward us.

Mad Men

I've got about five episodes backed up on the TiVo of this show on AMC called Mad Men. If you don't know anything about it, check out the short video above. The season finale aired tonight but of course I won't watch it 'til I catch up. I've been watching since the premiere and think it's uncommonly good. I'm sure they'll do a marathon at some point. If so, be sure to watch. I'm never quite sure where it's headed. There are some terrific performances, so don't be surprised if you hear more about it come Emmy time.

In my dreams...my fingers are made of butter

Some thoughts about Gore

Speculation is again rampant that Al Gore might enter the presidential race now that he's won the Nobel Peace Prize. While I'm not sure he's interested, I've got an idea for the next president (Democrat or Republican). Cabinet positions are rarely coveted but there is potential for real policy influence (see Rumsfeld). Of course, cabinet members don't usually get much credit but they often take the blame when things go wrong (again...see Rumsfeld). Nevertheless, I think Al Gore would be a brilliant choice for the next Secretary of Energy. He's got the momentum and the passion to affect real change.

Everybody's Got Something To Hide...

Now Steve Jobs is just toying with us. Take a look at this screen-shot from iTunes. I think it's inevitable at this point that the Beatles catalog on iTunes gets announced at the launch of the "Leopard" OS later this month. But then, doesn't everyone already have all the Beatles tunes on vinyl, cassette, CD, and ripped MP3s?

A thought about the radiohead record. It really is an exercise in trust. Fans trust the band enough to buy a record without hearing a note of it. Band trusts the fans to pay enough for it so that this becomes a viable distribution method. I like that.

Anyone else think this is odd?

I took this photo this weekend with my cell phone.
Anyone else concerned that this "non-dairy creamer" contains...dairy?

It's Up To You

I'm sure you've heard, but if you haven't, Radiohead has decided to release their new album without the help (read hindrance) of a label. It's available through their website, radiohead.com, and with four simple words, they may have single-handedly changed the way we buy music.

When you go to purchase the album, you'll see a blank box where the price would normally be. Click the question mark next to it and you'll see
"It's Up To You" staring back at you.




You wanna pay a nickel? Go ahead. 9.99? Go ahead.
How cool is that?

(a note. Radiohead isn't the first to do this sort of thing. They're just the best.)