snap culture: December 2005

  1. What's a can of Natty Light worth? William, 12/23/2005 0 comments
  2. so which is it? ben, 12/20/2005 0 comments
  3. Special Showing William, 12/19/2005 0 comments
  4. Many thanks to the Sports Guy's intern William, 12/16/2005 2 comments
  5. It's beginning to look a lot like, um, winter. William, 12/15/2005 0 comments
  6. My main man William, 12/14/2005 0 comments
  7. Free range meat, yes, but... William, 12/12/2005 0 comments
  8. When in Shanghai... William, 12/12/2005 0 comments
  9. Elmo doesn't play in Paris William, 12/12/2005 0 comments
  10. Sell out! Sell out? William, 12/08/2005 0 comments
  11. Oh, man, what a name! William, 12/07/2005 0 comments
  12. your mission, should you choose to accept it ben, 12/02/2005 2 comments
  13. Christmas Tree Wars William, 12/01/2005 1 comments

12/23/2005 Add a comment

How about a human life?! A woman stabbed her longtime boyfriend during an argument over a can of Natural Light beer. William

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12/20/2005 Add a comment

Contradictory headlines today:

CNN says, " Poll: Iraq speeches, election don't help Bush", and continues
A CNN/USA Today Gallup poll conducted over the weekend found his approval rating stood at 41 percent, while more than half, or 56 percent, disapprove of how the president is handling his job. A majority, or 52 percent, say it was a mistake to send troops to Iraq, and 61 percent say they disapprove of how he is handling Iraq specifically. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The Washington Post writes, "Bush's Support Jumps After a Long Decline; More Americans Upbeat on Iraq, Economy", and follows with
Bush's overall approval rating rose to 47 percent, from 39 percent in early November, with 52 percent saying they disapprove of how he is handling his job. His approval rating on Iraq jumped 10 percentage points since early November, to 46 percent, while his rating on the economy rose 11 points, to 47 percent. A clear majority, 56 percent, said they approve of the way Bush is handling the fight against terrorism -- a traditional strong point in his reputation that nonetheless had flagged to 48 percent in the November poll.
With both polls claiming +- 3 points as the margin of error, 47-3 = 44, 41+3 = 44, the approval ratings in the polls aren't statistically different. Why the Post has decided to spin the results in such a positive direction is beyond me. Of course the two polls might have had different trends leading up to these results.


Bonus points to whoever finds the poll where Bush's approval rating plummeted in recent weeks! Nonetheless, as the President's approval rating soars to 47 percent, I can't help feeling like I'm hearing the hometown announcer in the midst of a blowout, when the home team hits a meaningless homerun, saying "and it's an eight-to-FOUR ballgame!" ben

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12/19/2005 Add a comment

The Farrelly brothers' new movie, "The Ringer," about the Special Olympics, was made with major imput from the Special Olympics. It's rare that the subject of a movie would have so much influence on an independent project, but it might work here. The real test: Is it funny? William

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12/16/2005 Add a comment

For pointing out this. Greatest Internet thing in the history of the world. Make sure your sound is turned on. William

12/15/2005 Add a comment

Ruth Marcus delivers a wonderful poke in Bill O'Reilly's eye, and of those who are saying Christmas is under attack by political correctness.

Those who feel "Happy Holidays" is a slap at "Merry Christmas" need a swift kick in the shins, and that's only because we're feeling charitable during this winter solstice season. Otherwise, they deserve a kick somewhere else. William

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12/14/2005 Add a comment

When I was younger, and the Flyin' Illini were in full swing, Kendall Gill was my favorite non-MJ player (and early hype was that he could be the next MJ). Now, he's 37, out of basketball, and trying his hand at boxing. Here's hoping his boxing career does better than MJ's baseball career. Unless some team out there needs a 37-year-old swingman who can still put a few points on the board and play a little defense. William

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12/12/2005 Add a comment

...laboratory-grown meat? Of all of the NYT Magazine's annual "Ideas" issue, this is perhaps the most intriguing (and wonder-AND-cringe inducing) ideas out there. William

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12/12/2005 Add a comment

...bring your own toilet paper. The city has created a new municipal toilet association in order to help bring one important but oft-neglected aspect of this city-on-the-rise back from the bowels of civilization. William

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12/12/2005 Add a comment

Indian Sesame Street's Boombah with unidentified muppet friends Sesame Street is expanding with own-language versions in many countries around the world (in the past, they were mostly dubbed versions of the original American show), and it means that new characters are replacing some of the most familiar to Americans. For example, the Hindi version will replace Big Bird with Boombah, a 7-foot-tall lion. William

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12/08/2005 Add a comment

Maybe not anymore. Indie rock music is finding its way into commercials. William

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12/07/2005 Add a comment

Eddie Van Halen's son:
Wolfgang Van Halen. William

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12/02/2005 Add a comment

Now this I have to see: Likely Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush's high school football highlight video, which, rumor has it, convinced top programs to offer him a scholarship on the spot.

I did a quick google search but it turned up empty. This video has to be on the web someplace. Someone please find this video online and put a link to it in the comments! ben

Comments

  1. Anonymous Anonymous: While I was watching the 49er-Cardinals game (goddamnit my new home team sucks), they showed several high school clips of Alex Smith throwing to his teammate Bush. All completions, of course. -vinny 12/06/2005  
  2. Blogger Vanwall: It's available on the ESPN website in their Motion section. Right now there's a direct link on the Main Page story about Bush, but I can't link directly. 12/10/2005  

12/01/2005 Add a comment

So who should have the "national" Christmas tree? Rockefeller Center? The White House? The Capitol? Particularly funny is that the RC people call the White House each year to find out when the president is lighting the tree, and then they beat it by a day. William