So Time magazine, which is becoming some sort of pre-debate wrench-thrower, (you’ll remember those awesome pics of Paul Ryan’s workout regimen released last week) has leaked the pre-debate agreement between Mitt Romney and President Obama. Continue reading
The New Robber Barons and the Self Destruction of the 1%, the Cynic and Barack Obama, November 7th and the future of the GOP, and Joe Biden was right to laugh. Continue reading
We all know that Glenn Beck enjoys waging war against things he considers un-American, or pro-Kenyan, or anti-wingnuttery, or whatever, so now he’s taken up the blue jeans mantle. The controversial, America-threatening institution of dungaree-wearing. He must save us all. Continue reading
Let me start with the worst hotel experience I ever had. It was in Albuquerque, a word that if I never have to type it out again in my life I’ll be very happy.
It was part of a cheap chain, one we’d often stayed at before and done just fine. They’d all been clean, quiet, and had very comfortable beds. But this one! When we first entered the road, there was no air conditioning (it was nearly 90 outside), no remote, no fridge, microwave, iron, ironing board or coffee-maker, as there had been in the rest of the chain. Continue reading
When we last saw the Grimes group and what was left of Hershel’s family, the two factions had together come to the realization that in a zombie apocalypse “safety” is an abstract concept. With the incineration of Hershel’s farm, after a zombie horde had all but overrun it, what we were left with was a badly battered group trying to decide their next move. But whatever that move was to be, they were going to have to do things differently — and that meant there was going to be one rule of order. One rule or everyone dies. Continue reading
On Friday Gawker’s Adrian Chen dropped his much-anticipated article exposing the IRL identity of star Reddit troll “Violentacrez.” The article raised some interesting questions about how Reddit is managed and its close ties to some unseemly characters. But even more interesting is the debate it has ignited over whether internet users have a right to their own anonymity.
This is a a topic we’ve debated here before and it really is a subject worth discussing (especially since Crasstalkers rarely agree on anything). That’s why I particularly enjoyed the comment that former Gawker writer (and longtime Friend of Crasstalk) Richard Lawson posted in reply to Chen’s article Friday. Continue reading
As it gets closer to Halloween, I thought we’d celebrate with scary musicals! Well, maybe not scary, but at least gothic or horror inspired, if not exactly horrifying, all of which can be applied to Jekyll and Hyde at some point in its long career. Continue reading
Kashgar is an ancient oasis town on the western tip of China. The area is home to Uyghurs, a Turkic speaking, Muslim community. It is in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. The region is by no means autonomous and is quickly filling up with Han (China’s dominant ethnicity). Through a combination of modernization, repression, and flooding the area with Han immigrants, the Uyghur people and culture are slowly being snuffed out.
I am a huge Silk Road buff. And Kashgar is Silk Road Central. My plan is to visit the Sunday Bazaar– the largest in Central Asia– and to travel the Chinese section of the Karakoram Highway. The highway crosses the Pamir Mountains and connects Pakistan with China. Bin Laden’s hideout, in Abbottabad, is along the Karakoram. A few miles to the west of the highway are the borders with Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. Continue reading
I know, I know. We can get through this week. I promise. Continue reading