Wikileaks.org, a whistle-blower website where users can anonymously post confidential corporate and government documents (most notable for the leak of records from US prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay) has been shut down by a California court.  

No doubt there are shady CEOs and Bush Administration officials throwing parties already. 

The story is being covered heavily in terms of the site’s shut down, but not many people are talking about the worst part of the decision.  The judge not only had Wikileaks removed entirely from its host server, Dynadot, but also ordered the company to turn over all records related to the site — including IP addresses from anyone other than Dynadot who accessed the formerly-anonymous site.

Um, isn’t that in violation of at least two Constitutional rights?  Freedom of the press?  Right to privacy?  What??

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Cuban President Fidel Castro has announced his retirement. While the President (some would say Dictator) of the small socialist island leaves behind a controversial legacy, he also managed to lead the country toward a 99.8% literacy rate and universal access to health care for all citizens.  

Still no end in sight for the US embargo, though.  Literate, healthy people are scary.

Barack’s campaign has been leaving a trail of fainting women at their recent rallies.  Either people are getting really exicted, or else the ladies love Obama the way they used to do the Beatles.  Or maybe both.

Somebody should tell these swooners to avoid large crowds, and to breathe deeply when they hear the man speak.

“Staff at a sewage works have called in a ghostbuster because they are being stalked by a zombie-like figure who roams the underground tunnels.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=514685&in_page_id=1770

“Workers at Southern Water’s treatment plant in Eastbourne, East Sussex, said they have been scared to enter tunnels after being followed about by a ‘humanoid figure’ as they went about their jobs.”

“Mr Wey said the figure, which followed workers about often laughed at them and staff could hear “muffled conversations” coming from behind the tunnel walls.”

“It’s not funny going to work and worrying that a zombie might be around the corner.”

Yeah it is.

A century ago today, Walter Lanier Barber — known to NYC as Red Barber, or “The Ol’ Redhead” – was born in Mississippi. 

For anyone who doesn’t know, Red Barber is a legend: the original play-by-play sportscaster (as opposed to a communist master of the straight razor).

Red Barber first hit the airwaves in the early 30’s and stayed on for 63 years, calling games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Yankees and the Reds, plus NYC college baseball & football and the world’s first televised baseball game in 1939.

Red changed the entire sportscasting scene forever when he began slipping distinctive slang phrases  (dubbed ”Barberisms”) into his play-by-plays.  Phrases like “tearing up the pea patch” and “hollering down the rain barrel” became his signature style, and are still being imitated by every sportscaster on the air – most notably Barber’s protege, New York icon Vin Scully.

You can hear some choice clips of Red at the ‘47 World Series, here (Al Gionfriddo’s winning catch, Game 6 — origin of the call “back, back, back…” for a fly), or here (Cookie Lavagetto’s base hit, Game 4).

Follow the jump for some more classic Barberisms. (more…)

http://www.laurieholland.com/railcar.html

After a much needed recovery process we would like to finally post the antics that went down in Vegas during the SIA.08 SnowSports Trade Show.

The Yard zone of the show went off once again this year with an amazing line-up of talent and entertainment kicking it off with DJ Finale on Tuesday, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill on Wednesday and New York’s own Team Facelift hitting the stage hard on Thursday while beers were poured heavy to start the nights festivities.

We were also blessed with some live art by STASH to benefit Boarding For Breast Cancer as well as a Dunk Tank to raise awareness and some cash to support the cause. Industry big wigs, bikini clad girls and some pro athletes were being dunked throughout the week and there was also the Paddle Royale Ping Pong Tournament so it was on! This was THE sickest ping-pong table ever made and thanks to Styk and the crew at Dept. of Energy for designing such an incredible creation.

The night time activities are what its really all about and the week kicked off with the Vans/Boosted Mobile party at Pure at Caesar’s Palace with the Pussy Cat Dolls taking it off and getting us warmed up for the usual trek over to the Spearmint Rhino…

The highlight of the week and the party that heads will be talking about for a long time was the Frank151/Snowboard Magazine party at Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel. As soon as the doors opened the spot packed out and a line of about 500 heads lined up waiting to hopefully make there way in.
DJ A-Dog heated it up and got the crowd screaming WU-TANG…WU-TANG!! until GZA crushed the stage and tore it down!!

Much thanks to all the sponsors; Skull Candy, Forum Snowboards and Atmosphere for making this THE party to remember!!

Sneaks can’t hang on telephone wires if they got no laces….

Co-starring the legendary Mark Gonzales (pick up his most recent poetry at aNYthing right now), this is a Spike Jonze classic which was inexplicably excluded from his Palm Director’s Collection DVD….  Kid can do no wrong.

This short might be old news, we know, but it’s totally worth returning to, again and again. And again.

Even though the Simpsons movie wasn’t all that, we still salute you!