I think that, for most people, the thought of political speeches conjures images of a dry, reserved and, well, boring delivery and message. I think that the past 8 years of terrible oration by President Bush has only strengthened America’s sense of disconnection and general apathy with the political machine. This is one of the reasons that I find Barack Obama’s speeches so fresh and moving. Barack Obama made a stirring concession speech when he lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton. His words pull from Cesar Chavez’ speeches and the hopeful “Si Se Puede” slogan adopted by UFW in the early 70s. His message (which will be discounted by many as “naive”) contrasts greatly with the that of his opponents on both sides of the aisle. It is apparent that he finds that hope is a far greater motivator than fear. I hope that the electorate will prove this to be true.
I know that only a tiny fraction of the American population actively watches and participates in the primary election cycle, which is why it’s great that Obama’s NH speech was repackaged as a pop-culture pill that will entertain - and hopefully move - even the most disillusioned Americans.
The original speech is available here.
The transcript is available here.
I’m not one to complete incredibly long, epic video games. Probably 90% of the media that I’ve consumed outside of school has been presented to me in the form of a sound-byte or snippet. Which is why, for me, Portal is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. It does away with the extraneous, shallow storytelling that fails to capture my attention in contemporary video games. The main character is without any discernible persona or backstory. The “story” is presented through the instructions and recitations of a computer, as the player solves puzzles. This computer’s demeanor seems helpful, but very sterile and neutral at the start, but becomes treacherous and murderous as the game progresses. Deadpan humor is peppered throughout, and I found myself laughing when the computer delivers her final, passive-aggressive evaluation of my performance in solving the puzzles. It’s presented in the MP3 below. Skip 2001: A Space Odyssey and play Portal.
I’m glad that Radiohead released In Rainbows without the distribution help of their label. Though, because of their fame, this probably isn’t that big of a deal. I don’t think that they’ve grown any less famous in years since their last release. And, the fans - and industry - worship their post-Pablo Honey creations as if touched by the divine. Upcoming bands certainly gain from the exposure that the internet provides, but I don’t expect any unheard-of bands to completely circumvent the promotion, distribution and tour logistics that labels provide on the road to fame.
The band is also allowing listeners to pay what they think the album is worth. Which makes me wonder: are people already putting money on the pre-order? Are they basing the value of the album on their anticipation? And if that’s the case, what if the album doesn’t meet, or, exceeds their expectations? I, for one, am going to give the album a long listen before I place a value on it. Radiohead might be better off this way, considering that, for me, OK Computer is at least a $100 album.
