In a festival of imagination and colors, “we the people” of the world united their artistic efforts and creativity around a common muse: Bush. Never before has a U.S. president evoked such an outpouring of artistic inspiration abroad. With his face depicted in frescoes and graffiti in 25 countries around the globe, the art world [...]
big kids making baby steps aren’t cute
Fine, go ahead and keep your colorful, chunky plastic pens and ugly canvas totes. As long as I can keep my five-star dinner and “business” trip to Hawaii, I’m happy. Essentially, that’s what every doctor is thinking when they hear about the recently passed Industry Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. The bill is [...]
Carlin concurs: junk the MPAA!
While jungle[8] reflected on the life and achievements of the late George Carlin in recent days, the subject of censorship was brought up. One of Carlin’s most memorable stand-up comedy routines—Dirty Words—challenged American society’s (and the FCC’s) puritanical censorship practices. The controversial bit (by early 70’s standards) illuminated the often hypocritical and contradictory practices of [...]
that billboard might be looking at you
You’re walking down the street, coffee in hand, and glance over at a billboard as you pass. Better check your make-up and hair first, because that billboard might be looking back at you. Cameras hidden in digital billboards have been used in Europe and China for marketing purposes for years, and are now being tried [...]
bottle cap censorship
You may have picked up today’s Los Angeles Times and read an article entitled—“‘Legal Weed’ is just beer, but Feds want to cap sales” by Eric Baily. It tells an alarming story of government oppression, censorship, and wasting of tax dollars. Mt Shasta Brewing Company, located in Weed, CA, seals one particular brew with bottle [...]
Debacle Accomplished!
The White House has officially admitted their “Mission Accomplished” banner displayed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1st 2003 wasn’t, as we say in the jungle, an “authentic message.” For those who don’t recall, this was the much-publicized event in which president George W. Bush landed a plane (with much assistance) on [...]
Can Obama Make America “Cool” Again?
It has become a widely accepted reality that American presidents are reelected for no other reason than positive performance of the American economy. You needn’t look further than the last 32 years to see pocketbook voting is the most constant factor in deciding an election or reelection. At the end of Jimmy Carter’s reign, stagflation [...]
Take back the city?
The American dream prescribes we strive to purchase our very own piece of land. With the white picket fence and the backyard for our kids and pets to play. But in urban settings where most inhabitants live in apartments and condos, where do they get their dose of fresh air? From the public parks. And [...]
The Accidental Fascist. Design flaw or faux pas?
Who could believe constructing a building in the shape of swastika was an accident? Architects draft blue-prints. And guess what? The client, just like any project in most service industries, must approve those plans. The probability that an architect designing a building in the shape of swastika BY ACCIDENT is very low. But lets suspend [...]
Yikes! Public Wounds
We can all admit, Los Angeles is a driving culture, requiring cars for our main mode of transportation. Even though I love the downtown subway routes and often make the trek from downtown to Long Beach for weekend outings with my son, Angelenos don’t tend to spend the majority of their commute on the rail [...]