Stephen Fry vs. Ashton Kutcher: UK: 1, US: 0

Of all the social media darlings, why did the US end up with Ashton Kutcher (or worse, quasi-haiku writer, Sarah Palin)? Fry is a rare find, a true polymath with a love of inquiry for inquiry's sake. Just check out his blog posting on the new iPhone 4 and Apple's App store. It's informative, funny and shows an amazing faculty for technical concepts you don't see in a lot of so-called "creative types". His Twitter posts are no less entertaining.

參考來源： http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/06/23/iphone-4-a-welcome-and-a-warning/ (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)

Lesson's learned

From the Huffington Post: "McChrystal's style apparently has been to slight foreign diplomats, even when in their country, ignore diplomats from his own country, belittle his own Vice President and mock his Commander-in-Chief. Even Douglas MacArthur couldn't get away with that - and he actually won his war. Remember? The Big One. World War II. What war did McChrystal win? Did I miss something?"

It's just funny.

參考來源： http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-mcchrystal-lesson-don_b_623536.html (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)

Rep. Alan Grayson: Canny pol or latter-day Cassandra?

A lot of Right-wingers, Tea Partiers and the usual bunch of malcontents hate the Florida Democrat, mostly because he calls them on their hypocritical bullshit, which isn't a bad thing, really.

Personally, I think he's great, and most likely as flawed and venal and manipulative as the next politician. I have no doubt that in his future (or even his past) there is something scandalous which will have the media frowning, the Wingnuts cheering and the Left wailing in disbelief, but until that happens, we can enjoy some of Grayson's uncanny ability to sniff out bullshit. Here is what he said last year on MSNBC when General McChrystal bigfooted the Obama Administration into giving him more troops for Afghanistan:

""McChrystal is way out of line. He should remember what happened between Truman and MacArthur, another 'Big Mac.' He's pushing his luck here, because Obama needs to be the Commander in Chief. That's what the Constitution says - Article II, Section 2, that's what it says. He's the boss, not McChrystal. McChrystal should have known better. He saw what happened [to MacArthur], and I think history may repeat itself."

That's just awesome.

Sucking in the '70s!

Clever retro print ads for today's technology in all of the Me Decade's earth-tone-y goodness! Bitchin'!

參考來源： WE ARE NOT TIME TRAVELERS (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)

Florida: It's never boring

This has to be the BEST Tea Party story out there, not because Sarah Palin's name isn't mentioned, or that it's full of white men whining about their country being taken away or seceding or whatever ... It's because it's got the makings of a great Carl Hiaasen novel. Read on ...

Extra points if you read Newsweek's excellent take-down on AP's Tea Party piece.

參考來源： Okay, this is getting interesting (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)

Oh Canada ...

From the AP: "(Canada's) banks are stable because, in part, they're more regulated. As the U.S. and Europe loosened regulations on their financial industries over the last 15 years, Canada refused to do so. The banks also aren't as leveraged as their U.S. or European peers."

參考來源： Canada's economy is suddenly the envy of the world (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)

Tony Hayward: You silver-tongued devil, you ...

The BBC lists the career-defining eloquence and actions of BP's chief executive. I see Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) playing him in the HBO mini-series dramedy ...

參考來源： BP's gaffer (在「Google 網頁註解」中檢視)