Hot off the Press: Pedestrians of the world unite and take over! edition

Cool article about Conan O'Brien and his transition to "The Tonight Show" from the NYT Magazine: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24Conan-t.html?hp. No, I didn't read the whole thing (only the first webpage; "Bad writer. Bad!"), but Conan is the man. I was going to write a post the night he did his last "Late Show," but alas.

Bad economic times mean good art: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/arts/20rece.html?em. You see, what I need to do is tie my creativity directly to my financial well-being. Then I'd be one creative motherfucker. I'm slowly in the process of doing this. After all, I'll be gloriously unemployed in about a year. Now is the time to pave inroads into the world of freelance journalism.

This is no shocker. Headline: "Report Details Abuses in Irish Church-Run Reformatories": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/world/europe/21ireland.html?hp.

Sadly, broadcasting is about the only thing professional athletes can do after their playing careers are over (that and own restaurants or whore their fame to sell real estate). At least The Diesel is getting a head start: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/sports/basketball/20shaq.html.

Here's a great LAT guest column about California's budget woes written by Bill Maher: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-maher21-2009may21,0,6000698.story. I especially loved this graph:

You see, our state is designed to be ungovernable because we govern by ballot initiative, and we only write two kinds of them: "Spend money on things I like" and "Don't raise my taxes." More money for teachers and firefighters? Check "yes"! High-speed rail? "Cooool!" Drug treatment for former child actors? "Sure, why not?" But don't even think of taxing me for any of it.

On that note, California legislators need to close a $21.3-billion budget gap: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget21-2009may21,0,3817104.story. Sweet. I might not get paid this summer.

Iowa has the potential to produce so much wind energy there is a battle over who has the rights to sell the excess: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090521/BUSINESS/905210354/1029.

Scary article about the apathy and ignorance of young Chinese toward the 1989 Tianamen Square demonstrations and the government: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-china-youth22-2009may22,0,6436494.story. This is a good quote:

"They know if they protest right now it will destroy their middle-class lifestyle. But when the timing is right, nobody will refuse democracy."

It's scary to think people would rather have all the coolest electronics than expressive and political freedom.

The fiscal chopping block is being loaded in Sacramento: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget22-2009may22,0,4603538.story.

Anyone who calls this guy a hero should be raped and murdered like his victim: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/us/22soldier.html?ref=us.

Here's a page of NYT reader letters: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/opinion/l22credit.html. I'm only posting this because I found this graph in the second letter very interesting:

While credit card users may eventually pay dearly for their use of credit, many users do not realize, too, that merchants pay interchange fees to the credit card companies for allowing customers to use the cards for purchases. These fees are either absorbed and consequently reduce profits or are passed on to customers by increasing the prices of the goods they sell.

A second letter also mentions this. I wonder if it's true.

The Southside needs community involvement, and I wish I were there to give back to my old neighborhood: http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20090522/NEWS01/905220324/1079, http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090521/NEWS/705219897/1001/NEWS.

Iowa's high school graduation rate is on a two-year decline: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090522/NEWS02/905220374.

As congress patches together national quotas for renewable energy, the lobby wolves are looking to redefine the meaning of "renewable": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/business/energy-environment/25renew.html?_r=1&ref=us.

Segregation is alive at one Georgia high school, where there are two proms: one for whites and one for blacks: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24prom-t.html?ref=us.

The motorizados of Caracas: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/world/americas/25caracas.html?ref=world.

Headline: "Fate of Iraqis Gone Missing Haunts Those Left Behind": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/world/middleeast/25missing.html?ref=world.

In an effort to ease traffic congestion in Manhattan, officials in NYC have closed portions of Broadway to create pedestrian plazas: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/nyregion/25bway.html. I'm all for anything pedestrian friendly.