pneyman.com

Plans to resurrect Berkeley’s Telgraph Avenue
http://www.abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=4171894

Just off the U.C. Berkeley campus, what once was the bustling center of the free speech and anti-war movements is now struggling to survive. Stores along Berkeley’s famous stretch of Telegraph Avenue between Bancroft Way and Parker Street are reporting declining sales — but city leaders have a plan to resurrect the area.

I bet, hell will freeze over before they will be able to do anything to Telegraph. The ever-ready chorus of potheads and bums from People’s Parl will not miss out on the action: how can anyone dare to tarnish the holy grail of the ‘Free Speech’? I swear, every time I hear ‘Free Speach’ mentioned in connection with Berkeley, I want to puke.

The apparent image problem is hurting business. Cody’s Books announced its impending closure earlier in the week, and others stores are hoping they won’t be next.

All of the problems can be summarized in short: too many bums, not enough real customers. Cafe ‘Berlin Wall’ had to close, because its clientelle consisted of twenty punks that did nothing but sit in front of the entrance drinking one cup of coffee all day. I don’t remeber anyone among my friends who enjoyed going there and sharing the space with those guys. Cody’s is closing because students don’t want to be raped on book prices and buy most of them online. A lot of the folks who patronize Cody’s look, like they came straight from People’s Park. They don’t buy there, but rather hang out and read fresh newspapers. After all, where else, but not in the ‘former first aid station amidsts protests on Telegraph during… that’s right, you guessed it - the ubiqutious Free Speach movement.

Cisco Devries is the mayor’s chief of staff, and he says the city has a plan to turn things around. Not only have they doubled the number of police officers on this stretch of Telegraph, but they’ve ordered new cleaning machines that will be used exclusively on the avenue.

Maybe they should first round up all the bums and punks who hang out at Homie Bonanza Central (otherwise known as Telegraph and People’s Park). A lof of them aren’t locals, but rather travel to Berkeley from all over the country, because of the city’s leniency towards homies. Next, they should pave over the park itself and build a student dorm there. Good luck - it has been debated for a decade now, I believe, without any luck.

The city also plans to devote more resources to help the homeless, and will soon launch a marketing campaign with the university to promote the area as a dining and shopping destination.

Right. ‘Fat Slice’ and ‘Blondie’s Pizza’ are two premiere, five star dining destinations. What could possible top those two? Oh, let me guess, the Asian Ghetto Food Court. Nah, probably not. Gipsie’s Trattoria? Maybe not either. The fact is, the best food you can get around Telegraph is student cafeteria, but unfortunately it’s off limits to the tourists. Bummer.

While regulars welcome improvements, they also hope nothing takes away from the spirit of Telegraph. Nicole Hall, Vallejo resident: “It’s diverse. You don’t see the same thing twice in Berkeley ever on Telegraph — ever.”

Yeah, if they have to remove all the pot dealers, incent burning tables from the sidewalks, and that drunk guy with the Taro cards on the corner, the spirit of Telegraph will be gone. No doubt about it.

По наводке посмотрел фильм “Первые на Луне”

офигенно, товарищи. Mockumentary про советских космолетчиков 30х годов. Стилизация - отменная.
Стеб, а потом ужасы - в полный рост.

Как тонко выдержана стилистика и пафосность кинохроники тех лет - это вообще. Да и все остальное - натуральный “документальный” фильм. Сила. Говорю вам - сила.

Вот здесь можно прочитать подробнее (там-то я и заинтересовался)
http://spuller.livejournal.com/666385.html

поддавшись напору пришельцев с других планет, установили дома русское телевидение. В частности телеканал НТВ О (Омерика)

Вечером часиков в 12ть ночи, когда все уже спали, прокрался в гостиную и включил без звука. С экрана на меня смотрел толстенький необычайно проворный и суетливый мужичок, разминавший руками какую-то траву в навозе и подобострастно усаживающий потом эту самую траву никому другому, как В.В. Жириновскому.

Жириновский грозно хмурил брови и вопрошал (читал по губам): что за говно ты мне тут сажаешь?

Бледная девушка-ассистентка толстенького мужчика отвечала что-то в духе: это говно высший сорт, трава растет с неимоверной скоростью, селекция самого Мичурина

Мужичок месил с удвоенной энергией и по губам читалось что-то вроде: не извольте-с сумлвеваться, говно-с высший сорт. Сейчас посадим - а потом ми-не-тик.

Жириновский: ну смотри у меня! И царским сапогом притоптал свежевыкопанную лунку.

Передача называлась, кажется, Растительный Мир.

В ужасе выключил и убежал спать.

http://www.wnbc.com/entertainment/6005104/detail.html

Just three days after starting his new job at Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., shock jock Howard Stern is now able to sell the roughly $200 million in Sirius stock that he received as part of his five-year deal with the company.

On Wednesday, the company made another regulatory filing saying that entities controlled by Stern and his agent, Don Buchwald, would receive the proceeds of the sale of the shares, which could occur at any time. It’s not yet clear when or how much they will sell, and Buchwald did not return a call seeking comment.

Sirius shares fell 38 cents, or 5.8 percent, to close at $6.12 on the Nasdaq Stock Market Wednesday

—

Now, this is what I call ‘Siriusly PWNED’

So, as some of you know, channel 104.9 has abruptly switched from rock alternative for 24 and under crowd to … fvcking ‘la RRRRRROMANTICA’.

There is more to it than seems at a first glance. I don’t even know where to begin, but I’ll try to address everything.

Channel 104.9 belongs to a huge, powerful, mind-controlling and indoctrinating Clear Channel corporation. A media conglomerate so big, it’s midn boggling. It has everything from billboards to concert venues. It is truly ‘The Man’ in its worst manifestation.

Clear Channel controls what radio stations play and how they play it. Tom Petty’s ‘The Last DJ’ was not written for no reason. If the radio station sucks, and it belongs to Clear Channel - you know who to blame. DJs have very little control over song rotation and content. Clear Channel censors what’s being aired extremely heavily. Howard Stern was cut off Clear Channel syndicate after FCC’s hefty fine in a flip of a switch. Clear Channel wants no trouble. It wants your money.

Now we come to another reason why 104.9 ceased to exist. In an article in Mercury News Clear Channel spokesman said that CC felt it was necessary to switch format because of the rapidly changing demographics of San Jose. True, but not because CC tries to make hispanic population feel like ‘back home in Mexico’. Hispanics are the only target aduience that can still be swayed by commercials on public radio. Regular polls conducted indicate a steady trend of declining revenues from aired commercials in any other demographic group except hispanics.

As a result, San Jose, with only 29% of hispanic population, has _six_ Clear Channel spanish-speaking stations, all in the top 25. The best performing spanish station eclipses the best performing English-speaking station and holds a whopping 7% of target audience. This translates into major money for commericals aired on these stations.

Now, as for the rock statiosn, they are all gone. It’s official: San Jose does not have a single rock station any more. The only surviving alternative rock channel is based in San Francisco. As for rock stations in general, there’s only a couple left: KFOX and KFOG, Live 105 (alternative) and 107.7 the Bone. None of these belong to Clear Channel.

Channel 104.9 wasn’t the greatest alternative rock station: their selection wasn’t the best, and their rotation was zombifying. But, as I already mentioned, the lion’s portion of the blame lies on Clear Channel’s shoulders.

What does this all mean to San Jose? It means: all the desperate attempts to shed the latino ghetto image and acquire a ‘city of culture’ status have been flushed down the toilet. For years San Jose has been trying to revamp its downtown and introduce some night life. Channel 104.9 was a major broadcaster of San Jose’s cultural news and events. Now with that gone, San Jose is thrown back into ‘ola, amigos’ stereotype.

Would any of the spanish stations air commercials targeted to the 79% of San Jose’s population that is not lation? Not a chance. Would any of that 79% listen to this accordeon and balalaika crap? Yeah, right. All of the spanish stations target the audience who is in the _lowest_ income bracket in San Jose. Guess, what kind of commercials are aired for people who can’t afford to rent a decent apartment, much less anything else? That’s right, ‘Rims rentals’ and ‘Alladding bail bonds’.

Now, finally, I should address the reason for declining sales in the white/asian/other audience. With the latest abundance of XM and Sirius hardware, closure of radio stations with good music and major players like Howard Stern switching to satellite, people are turning off their regular radio as well. Clear Channel only helps convicne people, that they should pay a modest monthly fee for a huge variety of radio channels with no commericals.

Fuck you, Clear Channel.

Volkswagen’s new commercial!
Awesome!1111

Новая реклама Вольксвагена. Обалденно.

Наверное, все уже читали про USS San Francisco, которая полным ходом налетела на “подводную скалу”, как утверждают в газетах. Мне интересно, эта скала из той же области, что и фасоль в Ан-12, летающих по Африке, или это и в самом деле подводная скала, не указанная ни на одной карте?

Страшные вести из России:

Оказывается, на Новый Год Аншлаг с Вагиной Дубовицкой прикрыли насовсем (включая всех Винокуров, Хазановых и Альтовых), а Петросяна удвоили.
Куда катится страна??!!!

Не первый раз читаю о том, что в Африке разбился очередной самолет советского производства с российскими/украинскими летчиками на борту. Каждый раз на борту была какая-нибудь фасоль. Кто-нибудь в курсе, почем нынче фасоль калиба 7.62 дорогим африканским друзьям?

На Новый Год брат подарил мне книгу John Stewart’a “America - A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction”. Это просто конкретное хоходо, давно я такого не читал. Рекомендуется к прочтению в обязательном порядке. Для тех, кто не знаком - John Stewart - один из лучших комиков на текущий момент. ну а книга, соовтетственно - один большой стеб над историей развития демократии и текущем положении дел. Естественно, стеб не злой, а веселый. “В каждой шутке есть доля шутки” (с). Так и тут. Познавательно и смешно до икоты. Купить книгу можно здесь