Culture flash: fallen dictators

This week’s news in the arts

When President Assad or Colonel Gaddafi watches Star Wars ? which surely sometimes happens ? whatever do they make of it? Do they tut and nod about the sad necessity of Darth Vader’s strong leadership, and the difficulty of finding a good henchman nowadays? I ask because, among the many stories told about dictators (usually by men), very few are on the tyrant’s side.

By far the largest group are the biographies and based-ons. George Orwell neither fooled anybody, nor tried to, with his meticulous allegory of Stalin’s Russia, Animal Farm. Unusually, the book begins with a dictator’s overthrow, when farmer Jones is defeated, then shows Napoleon the pig’s slow progress towards becoming his replacement.

Bruno Ganz’s portrayal of Hitler in Downfall has become perhaps the most memorable performance in the category, thanks partly to its brilliance, but mostly to its aptness for revision on YouTube. Charlie Chaplin made rather more deliberate comedy out of Hitler in his first talkie, and arguably his finest film, The Great Dictator.

Idi Amin, on the other hand, was often mistaken for a comic figure, but Giles Foden (once of the Guardian) skewered that with his novel The Last King of Scotland. This soon became a film, with Forest Whitaker supplying Amin’s big-boned paranoia. Honourable mentions go to Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat (about Rafael Trujillo), Julian Barnes’s The Porcupine (Todor Zhivkov), and William Shakespeare’s Richard III (Richard III). Generals Alcazar and Tapioca from Tintin and the Picaros, however, are as interchangeable with any Latin strongman as they are with one another.

The Who actually prefigured Hergé’s sentiments, and echoed Orwell’s (whether they realised it or not) in Won’t Get Fooled Again: “Meet the new boss/ Same as the old boss.” The same crazed delight appears in Pink Floyd’s In the Flesh. Aussie/German rockers Crime and City Solution look at things the other way around in The Last Dictator, a sad imagining of a tyrant contemplating his defeat ? a theme later revisited by Coldplay in Viva La Vida. And we will sidestep, for now, Mel Brooks’s heroically misguided rap from 1981, It’s Good to Be the King.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/aug/24/culture-flash-fallen-dictators

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Daily iPhone App: Gesundheit

Gesundheit is a strange but beautiful little game, recently released to the App Store by Konami. It’s sort of a puzzle game, though there are action elements as well. You play a little pig whose talent is that he can sneeze boogers out at a distance, which may not sound like much, but certainly comes in handy when his little pig town is invaded by rampaging monsters who just happen to like the taste of his nose’s output.

It sounds gross, and it kind of is, but the game’s winning art style and great soundtrack make it all much more charming than revolting. Each stage has the little pig navigating the town’s roads and buildings to try and not only grab some starfruit, but also catch all of the monsters in traps by sneezing in the right direction.

It’s a lot of goofy fun, and especially at the launch price of just US 99 cents, it’s easy to recommend this one. Full Game Center integration and a nice stream of challenges as you play keep the replayability on this one high, and that art style and soundtrack are just really, really enjoyable. Definitely give it a look.

Daily iPhone App: Gesundheit originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/08/24/daily-iphone-app-gesundheit/

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Happy New Year from all of us here at Pandora

Hey, it’s Tim from Pandora -

I’m writing to wish you a very Happy New Year from all of us here at Pandora! And what a year it was…

First, a heartfelt thanks to all of you for continuing to be such engaged listeners and such wonderful evangelists. In 2010 we doubled our audience to over 75 million people! And that was mostly thanks to continued word of mouth. For that we are deeply appreciative.

As always, interacting with listeners continues to be our greatest joy, and greatest source of feedback. You now send us over 25,000 emails every month. What an incredible fountain of information, constructive feedback, and validation that continues to be… and those thumbs! In 2010 alone, you thumbed over 3 billion songs (mostly thumbs-up… phew!).

Getting your stations right continues to be our obsession – and a work in progress. It’s a (wonderfully) hard problem and something we continue to work on every day. Your feedback is invaluable to that effort.

I hope you’ve checked out one of the many new connected devices that now support Pandora. We’re trying our best to make Pandora available everywhere you might want to use it. And that includes cars. 2011 will bring more options than ever to listen to Pandora on the road, beyond just plugging your smartphone into an auxiliary jack. Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Mini and Toyota have all announced Pandora integration into their dashboards. There’s no way to describe what it’s like to have personalized radio in the car. You just have to try it.

Last, but not least, a shout-out to all the great new music from working artists everywhere. Keep your submissions coming. We’re furiously adding music so listeners can keep discovering. The Music Genome Project surpassed 850,000 songs and is now rapidly becoming a more international collection.

So much more to say… but we’ve got the whole year ahead of us to talk .

Please stay in touch, keep listening and I look forward to the music we’re all going to enjoy in 2011.

As always, your feedback is most welcome.

Tim
Founder

Source: http://blog.pandora.com/pandora/archives/2011/01/happy-new-year.html

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Remarks by Vice President Biden and Mongolian Prime Minister Batbold

2:31 P.M. (Local)

        PRIME MINISTER BATBOLD: (As translated.)  First of all, I’m grateful to the United States Vice President Biden for accepting my invitation to pay an official visit to Mongolia.  And I am pleased to welcome Your Excellency and your delegation to Mongolia.

        This visit is significant as it coincides with a series of important anniversaries in the history of Mongolia.  Next year, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral relations.

        Your visit is the expression of the fact that U.S. recognizes Mongolia’s irreversible choice to develop democracy and the will of the Mongolian people and to uphold legal forces to uphold democracy.  We are grateful to the United States for the continued support and the economic assistance.

        It gives me great pleasure to note that we had a very productive meeting with Vice President Biden.  We have discussed the issues related to furthering our bilateral cooperation in the spirit of the comprehensive partnership, based on our common values and shared interests.  We have noted with satisfaction the progress achieved in our relations and affirmed our commitment to advance these relations.

        Mongolia has started chair the Community of Democracies from this July.  I discussed this issue before, when I was a foreign minister with State Secretary Clinton, and today, I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with Vice President Biden, as well.  I would like to highlight that Mongolia is ready to share its experiences in promoting democratic values and culture.

        The successful implementation of Millennium Challenge Corporation projects will significantly reduce poverty, increase transportation — the Mongolian side has expressed its interest in launching talks in the MCC second compact agreement.

        We have discussed the possibilities to develop and enrich trade and economic relations with the United States and attract more United States investments to Mongolia.  We are grateful that Vice President Biden reaffirmed the continued support of the part of the United States for implementation of democratic reforms and strengthening market economy in Mongolia.  During the meeting, we have discussed possibilities to conclude a transparency agreement in near future.

        The signing of the memorandum of understanding between MIAT Mongolian Airlines and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency aimed at developing civil aviation sector and improving MIAT training and capacity basis would make an important contribution to the development of the bilateral economic cooperation.

        Moreover, we have exchanged our views on other fields of our bilateral cooperation, particularly cooperation in the field of education.  The Mongolian side has requested the United States side to explore the possibilities to increase the number of scholarships for Mongolian students.  This year alone 16 Mongolian students were selected to study in the United States through Fulbright Scholarship Program.

        I expressed our special gratitude on behalf of the people of Mongolia for the U.S. decision to provide $695,000 grant from the Fund for Cultural Preservation.

        We have touched on many issues, particularly in the fruitful views of our bilateral consultation mechanisms.  We have also discussed our cooperation in peacekeeping operations.  The U.S. side has expressed its appreciation for Mongolia’s contribution to the peacekeeping activities.

        Mr. Vice President, there is a proverb saying that an old friend is the best friend.  Therefore, the visit of the U.S. Vice President to Mongolia after 67 years is certainly an old friend’s visit for us.  I welcome you again and wish you a pleasant stay in Mongolia.

        Thank you for your attention.

        VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for the invitation.  And it’s an honor to be here.  I’ve been looking forward to this.  I also want to thank your President, as well as the Mongolian people for their generous hospitality.   I only have one regret that I’m not able to stay longer and see more of your country.  I hope you’ll invite me back.

        I am particularly pleased to make this visit, following your President’s meeting this June with President Obama at the White House.

        Our nation does have a shared history that goes back at least 100 years.  In 1923, a fellow named Roy Chapman Andrews, a naturalist and a explorer, and the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington traveled to Mongolia to excavate a site in the Gobi Desert he called the Flaming Cliffs.

        That expedition captured the world’s imagination by discovering a treasure trove of fossils, including the largest mammal to ever walk the Earth and the first dinosaur eggs ever found intact.  But in the last 20 years, Mongolia has captured the imagination of the world by its remarkable transition to democracy: five presidential elections, five democratically conducted parliamentary elections.  And it’s truly remarkable, the progress you’ve made since 1991.

        So although we go back 100 years, quite frankly, we’ve grown much closer since the Mongolian people began to embrace democracy 22 years ago.

        That journey started with a small demonstration of — on Human Rights Day in 1989, then it blossomed into a movement that inspired thousands of Mongolians.  And it led to the country’s first free elections, and eventually ended — that eventually ended decades of one-party rule.  

        I guess the translator opposes one-party rule.  (Laughter.)  I’m only kidding.  I shouldn’t joke.  I shouldn’t joke.

        Today Mongolia is not just a shining example for other nations in transition but it’s an emerging leader in the worldwide democratic movement, a responsible actor on the world stage, and a close friend and partner of the United States.  And none of that is an exaggeration.  It is literal.

        In July, as you referenced, Mongolia assumed the chairmanship of the Community of Democracies —- a coalition of democratic countries dedicated to promoting democracy around the world.  And Mongolia’s term as chairman will culminate with a Democratic Summit held in 2013 right here in your capital.

        I also want you and your colleagues to know that Americans admire and appreciate Mongolia’s contributions to international peace and security.  In the past decade alone, Mongolia’s army -— whose proud martial tradition dates to Ghengis Khan -— has been deployed as US [sic] peacekeepers and observers in Sierra Leone, Chad, Darfur, Kosovo, Western Sahara and many other countries.  

        And Mongolian soldiers have also served with the International Coalition Forces in Iraq and are now serving in Afghanistan — in Afghanistan, where the Mongolian troop contributions will soon increase to nearly 400 military personnel.

        During his June visit — during his June visit to Washington, your President laid a wreath in the Arlington National Cemetery, and he met with wounded American soldiers at Army Reed Medical Center [sic].  And Americans noticed that gesture.  For not every visiting world leader takes the time to do that.  President Obama and I genuinely and greatly appreciate it.

        Now the United States and Mongolia are also developing closer economic relations.  As we discussed in our bilateral meeting, to enhance these economic ties, we are mutually working toward a transparency agreement that would make Mongolia an even more attractive destination for America and foreign investment.  

        I would just like to flatly state the United States remains strongly committed to helping the Mongolian people build a better future.  That is why over the last 20 years USAID has provided more than $200 million in grant assistance to Mongolia, with programs that seek to bolster democracy and economic growth.  

        And as you pointed out, that's why we have committed another $285 million through the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact.  That assistance is focused on a critical set of issues including combating corruption through training programs at all levels of government, improving rule of law by developing checks and balances at all levels of government, vocational training to prepare Mongolians for better jobs and improving infrastructure to make the country’s critical north-south corridor more accessible.  

        I hope that you and the people of Mongolia will take my visit here today -— and President Obama’s meeting with your President earlier this summer -— as signs of how impressed we are by the progress you’ve already made.

        These reciprocal visits are also signs of how important this relationship is to the United States.  As I told you earlier, we are very proud to be considered a “third neighbor.” And, like any good neighbor should, we’ll continue to do our part to support Mongolia’s political and economic development.  And, Mr. Prime Minister, we look forward to even closer ties in the years to come.

        And I want to thank you again for the hospitality.

END    2:53 P.M. (Local)

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/22/remarks-vice-president-biden-and-mongolian-prime-minister-batbold

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WSJ: Sprint will sell the iPhone 5 in mid-October

At TUAW we typically look the other way when it comes to iPhone rumors, but once something hits the Wall Street Journal, we pretty much consider it a done deal. The WSJ now reports that Sprint will offer the iPhone 5 in mid-October, bringing the handset to the third-largest US carrier. The iPhone 5 will hit AT&T and Verizon at the same mid-October date. This is according to the Journal’s sources, “people familiar with the matter,” who have usually turned out reliable information in the past.

The Journal notes that the mid-October launch points to a later-than-expected launch for the iPhone 5, which was expected to debut in September. If the WSJ’s sources are correct, and if Apple follows its prior pattern, it’s likely the iPhone 5 will be announced sometime in September with the hardware hitting the market around 30 days later.

Sprint is the second-largest CDMA carrier in the US, and rumors about the iPhone coming to that network have abounded since even before the CDMA-model iPhone 4 hit Verizon. If the iPhone 5 does indeed make it to Sprint, T-Mobile will be the last major wireless carrier to not offer Apple’s handsets.

WSJ: Sprint will sell the iPhone 5 in mid-October originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/08/23/wsj-sprint-will-sell-the-iphone-5-in-mid-october/

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Huntsman Apes McCain?

by Patrick Appel Huntsman’s new ad: Steve Kornacki believes Huntsman is trying to copy McCain’s 2000 campaign strategy: [T]here are some crucial differences between what McCain did in 2000 (and why he was able to do it) and what Huntsman’s…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/andrewsullivan/rApM/~3/VjuuEv8mxmM/huntsman-apes-mccain.html

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Thumbs-up to you!

Jason DeRulo stops by to get a plaque to commemorate our 10 Billionth Thumb.

Just over a week ago, on Sunday, April 24th at 4:46pm, “Ridin’ Solo” by Jason DeRulo received Pandora’s 10 billionth thumb. 10 BILLION…wow!

Of the many milestones we’ve hit over the past 6 years, this is perhaps the one that makes us most proud. We created Pandora to bring personalization to radio, to allow each individual to determine the sound of their stations, and to make it as simple and intuitive as possible. There is no greater evidence for us of meeting that objective than the ongoing engagement you have all shown in your use of the thumbs.

Not a day goes by that we don’t work to improve how the Music Genome Project works. And there is no greater impact on the project’s development than the contribution you are all making, one thumb at a time, to our understanding of how to build great playlists. Our team — musicians, mathematicians, statisticians, radio programmers, software engineers, music lovers and more — absorbs the feedback from you daily, looking for new insights and adjustments that your contributions reveal.

What started as an improbable effort by a group of musicians, around a dining room table, is now a massive project, involving tens of millions of avid music fans. Little by little we are all collectively creating a music discovery engine that might just deliver on the grand promise of the web — a completely personalized listening experience for every user, and an effective outlet for tens of thousands of deserving artists. We now have over 800,000 songs in our collection, and over 95% of them play in a given month.

All of us are humbled by the continued engagement you have shown with Pandora, not only with your thumbs, but also your general advice, suggestions, and critiques…by the thousands. We listen intently. And it is all adding up.

We will continue to work every day to get better, as this task has no end. And that’s what makes this so much fun.

Thanks again for being a part of this.

Tim (Founder)

P.S. That 10 billionth thumb was, indeed, a thumb-up. ?

Source: http://blog.pandora.com/pandora/archives/2011/05/thumbs-up-to-yo.html

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Tyler Blackburn’s “Save Me” Music Video for “Wendy”

You?ve fallen in love with him on ?Pretty Little Liars? and now Tyler Blackburn is making his singing debut with the theme from the upcoming web series ? Wendy.?

?Save Me? features Blackburn proving that he?s more than just a hunky actor, and his soaring vocals and winsome persona are the perfect segue into his character Pete on the forthcoming Alloy Entertainment show.

Also starring ?Camp Rock? and ?Mean Girls 2? babe Meaghan Martin, ?Wendy? is an updated version of the classic Peter Pan tale. It tells the story of a girl who mush choose between the boy she loves and the boy of her dreams.

But this sure-to-be tween favorite won?t be showing on network television or cable stations- it?s set for a September premiere on the internet.

Martine Reardon, executive Vice President of Marketing at Macy?s (Alloy?s partner in the venture) told press, “We know (the Internet) is where the consumer is for the most part. With so much more of the millennial customer viewing things on their mobile devices, it seemed like a great place to put this.”

?Wendy? will have twice weekly episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning September 15th for five weeks.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/television/tyler-blackburns-save-me-music-video-wendy-536191

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Google Hotpot finally (and fully) merged into Places

It’s taken months of confused looks, but Google‘s finally seen the light. Hotpot, which has been a universally scorned moniker for a service that just about everyone called Places, is now simply lumped in with Places.

The actual differences between Hotpot and Places were nearly non-existent, especially when dealing with the mobile aspect (which was even worse, since finding and rating restaurants and other venues is typically done on a smartphone, not a desktop). When it came down to it, Hotpot was basically just the rating/reviewing system for Places — so while it probably started off as a separate project, it was destined to be gobbled up by the bigger app from the get go.

So, now that the hideous name is over and done with, Places can go on to gain popularity alongside its older sibling, Latitude — and we can definitely expect both of them to get a major boost now that check-in deals have been brought into the mix.

Google Hotpot finally (and fully) merged into Places originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=cd156662c7be0e15b9e3e75c68ed48fd

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The East Coast Quake

by Patrick Appel I’m a native Californian and the earthquake that hit DC about an hour ago was among the stronger I’ve felt, but it was nothing compared to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 that shook my childhood home….

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/andrewsullivan/rApM/~3/haniwP0LUQA/the-east-coast-quake.html

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