The Top Ten Defining Moments of the Decade

Australian news website  news.com.au asked readers to name the defining moment of the decade. The results have both an Aussie and international flavour. The top ten defining moments are listed below.

The top 10:

1. September 11 (War and Terror)

2. Boxing Day tsunami (Disasters and Accidents)

3. John Aloisi’s goal (Sport)

4. The GFC (Money)

5. Facebook (Technology)

6. Michael Jackson’s death (Celebrity)

7. Heath Ledger’s Joker (Pop Culture)

8. Same sex unions (Sex and Life)

9. The iPod (Fashion and Design)

10. Brendan Keilar and Paul de Waard (Heroes)

Read more on the defining moments here.

Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics

NPR Music pointed me to an interesting article by Marc Lynch. A professor at George Washington University and the director of the Institute of Middle East Studies, Lynch is a rap fan and is interested in parallels between rap, political science and international relations.

Some of the greatest minds in national security have turned their attention to a classic problem: When there is one dominant power, the rest of the world tries to challenge it. That’s what happened to Britain in the 19th century and to the United States today. The same thing is happening in the world of rap.

Read the NPR Music article here and scope out Lynch’s full article here.

Obama’s First 100 Days According to Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein wrote an interesting piece for AlterNet recently in the lead up to the Obama Administration’s first 100 days:

…a growing number of Obama enthusiasts are starting to entertain the possibility that their man is not, in fact, going to save the world if we all just hope really hard. This is a good thing. If the superfan culture that brought Obama to power is going to transform itself into an independent political movement, one fierce enough to produce programs capable of meeting the current crises, we are all going to have to stop hoping and start demanding.”

It’s a different spin from the glowing reports you normally read. You can read the full article here.

The Future Forecast For 2009

Each year the World Future Society releases their annual “top forecasts for the future” list. It’s not as funny as a top ten list by David Letterman – but it’s thought provoking nonetheless.

Top 10 Forecasts for the future:

10. Access to electricity will reach 83% of the world by 2030
09. The middle east will become more secular
08. Urbanization will reach 60% by 2030
07. The race for genetic enhancement will parallel the space race
06. Professional knowledge will become obsolete almost as quickly as it’s acquired
05. The world’s legal systems will be networked
04. College majors and future careers will be more specialized
03. The cars’ days as king of the road may soon be over
02. Bioviolence will become a greater threat as technologies become more accessible
01. By 2030 everything you say and do might be recorded.

[via WFS]

Barack Obama is Tired of Your Motherfucking Shit

These audio excerpts come from Barack Obama’s audiobook. They’ve been re-mixed and they are totally radtastic!

Veet Hair Removal’s Inauguration Day Press Ad

Australian waxing and hair-removal company, Veet, ran this great tongue-in-cheek press ad to tie in with Obama’s inauguration. After all, no one like’s bush.

Mr President

Winston Churchill probably said it best: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else”.

David Letterman’s Farewell to “Great Moments in Presidential Speeches”

I’m going to miss this…well, sort of.

Obama: Run DC

The best pre-inauguration Obama streetwear from the streets of Washington DC!

[via SuperTouch]

…And Don’t Come Back.

“In the current Administration’s waning days, Americans have struggled to find a single word that would encapsulate history’s judgment on the two-term presidency of George W. Bush…But in what the White House says will be his final press conference on Monday, President Bush himself provided the word everyone has been looking for: disappointment.”

Read more here.

Iran: A nation of bloggers

 

Woah! Four international students from Vancouver Film School’s Digital Design department (Aaron Chiesa, Hendy Sukarya, Lisa Temes and Toru Kageyama) created this infographic entitled “Iran: A nation of bloggers” for their final term 3 project. From a script written by Kate Tremills, the short film highlights the cultural importance/relevance of blogging as an agent of change in Iran. The animation is uber-clean and sits perfectly with the matter-of-fact voiceover.

[via Motionographer]

Philosophy

Maybe it’s the post-election optimism permeating the global streets – but when I saw this it appealed to me. 

[via FFFFOUND!]