Serge the Concierge

What's Cooking in Iran ? Adopting the Color Green?

OK, Serge the Concierge is not the place you visit for world news, yet I have to confess that the events developing in the aftermath of Friday's elections in Iran have got my attention.

There has always been a bit of a political junkie in me.

Monsters and Critics mentions Amnesty International Report on Beatings of Iran Protesters (June 14),

Joi Ito shares suggestion of using Twazzup Iran Unrest News Feed to keep up with what's happening.

Soul Travelers 3 (on Twitter) draws comparisons with what led to the fall of the Berlin wall.

The BBC reports on how Internet brings events in Iran to life (June 14) .

Geeks including Persiankiwi are reporting from the scene and looking for ways to circumvent the communication crackdown...

CNN gets bashed for being slow to react.

Global Voices assembles news pieces from around the world on storm of protest.



Groups on Facebook (as pictured above) as well as Daily Kos and many others propose to wear green clothing as a sign of support for democracy.

A side trip taking a look at history in the making...

Learning to Make Do, Working With Limitations, Old Tech Versus New

In our gadget rich world with always new and improved iterations can we learn to make do with less features, slower connections, older machines?

Can we learn to work with limitations or will we always chase the new new thing?

I asked myself this question after my most recent HP computer stopped working and while I wait for a repair to be scheduled I had to switch to an older (desktop) machine with less power, a smaller screen and definitely slower.

It takes a little more time, I have to be more patient yet I can accomplish most of my tasks.

Since my (donated) laptop died a few months back I have not replaced it.

The recent computer issues could have given me an excuse to run to the store (or go online) and purchase a new laptop. I refrained from that.

Should we keep getting new 'toys' every time things break down or for the sake and the planet and in a sign of new found frugality try to get more mileage out of them?

Besides do we need all the software options that come with our computers?

What percentage of the features installed on my last 2 machines were never used?

For my old computer on which I am currently writing, I could make things easier by visiting Freecycle and see if anyone is offering a wider and XP compatible monitor.

Do I need an all you can eat and expensive cellphone plan or could I save a good chunk by cutting my minutes and using instead the unlimited text messaging function?

Should I drop cable TV since some shows are online?

They don't make it easy or financially attractive yet it is considered by some as Cutting the Cable as the Economy Pinches (Ken Belson, City Room, NY Times, March 2009) notes.

The upside of these little adjustments is we might not have to work as hard to pay for all this 'candy' in our 'Consumed to Thrifty' times.

It might even allow us to relax and enjoy the summer with less distractions...

Wednesday musings...

Can't Login into Your Comcast Account Equals 45 Minutes of Frustration

We take it for granted that paying your utility or cable bill or whatever fits that category beats standing in line to do the same.
Yesterday I was trying to do just that with my Comcast account when I kept hitting the 'incorrect' login speed bump.
I thought that using the 'Chat Help' would be faster than talking to a human (please hold on for the next operator, your call is important to us).
Why I could not get my 'username' back and have a chance to reset my password, not sure?
They issued me a new, very long 'username'.
Problem is afterward I could not check and pay my bill.
They did indicate in the 'chat' process that changing your login might have some adverse effects yet the 'link page' provided failed to be clear and specific as to what the drawbacks would be.
In frustration, I gave up and ended up sending my wife to the 'Comcast' office where she waited and stood in line.
Life's little annoyances.
Keep it simple.

Peace Sign from Pennsylvania: Magibon, Japan's YouTube darling

How do you go from being a small town Pennsylvania pharmacy clerk to reaching the No. 1 spot on the Japanese YouTube rankings.

Mark Schilling tells us how this happened to a diminutive video blogger in Introducing Magibon, Japan's YouTube darling (Japan Times, December 18).

He credits her success to her on-screen persona which he says "was reminiscent of a Japanese teenage idoru (manufactured entertainer)."

Her Japanese audience, Mark Schilling notes "males especially, found her American Zen idoru act funny, charming and kawaii (cute) — and made her a YouTube star. As her view-count soared, the Japanese media took notice and in April, October and November of this year she was flown to Japan for Web, TV and print interviews and live appearances."

Her videos collected some 4,2 million views so far.

As Mark Schilling mentions, she gets sneered at by many US comments.

They range from Magibon's Evil Cuteness (Due East) to Magibon is a Fake (Tasty Blog Snack) and I guess these are the more polite.

Is it because she flags the Peace Sign at the end of each appearance as in 'Disneyland' (above)?

We don't learn much from her profile on the Magibon Channel.

Is she a media creation?

Does it matter?

Everybody's in Showbiz, Everybody's A Star as Ray Davies (The Kinks) was singing back in 1972 .

Japan Lite for Tokyo Thursdays # 69

Last Week on Tokyo Thursdays: Mercury Poisoning: 20th Minamata Disease Exposition in Chiba

Take That take the Gray Out of Christmas 2008 in Marks and Spencer TV Ad

British heartthrobs Take That along with Myleene Klas, not to Twiggy, the 60's icon, Take the Gray Out of Christmas 2008 or at least try to in a TV Ad (by RKCR) for Marks & Spencer launching today in the UK.

In a comfy yet not ostentatious home with firewood burning, they get ready to celebrate just another snowy Christmas like in the good old days.

Credit crunch is not part of the picture...

Spotted on The Guardian which reports that the Ad is "set to a version of the classic Christmas song Winter Wonderland, sung by Macy Gray".

Craving Vegetarian TV? Scan Veggie Vision

Be reassured, I am not going crazy and seeing the advent of the 'organic' TV here.

As niche audiences get smaller and smaller, here comes Veggie Vision, an Internet TV Channel.

On Word of Mouth, Adharanand Finn wonders Who will watch the vegetarian channel?

He also asks "what is the point of vegetarian telly, exactly?"

Mr. Finn offers this high point of Veggie Vision "a nice interview with Benjamin Zephaniah in which he tells the story of how he once beat a boy up at school for calling him a vegan – he was vegan but he didn't know the word and thought it was a racist insult of some sort.He also talks about how as a child he saw animals as friends who didn't judge him for his skin color".

It might prove that being a vegetarian does not prevent you from showing anger.

Interestingly enough, Veggie Vision the internet TV Channel has a twin.

The other Veggie Vision is a very advanced scanner designed by Jon Connell and his team of the Exploratory Vision Group at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center "that can recognize the 150 or so different fruits and vegetables found in the produce section of a well-stocked supermarket" from kiwano to tamarillo according to Green Machine by Bruce Schechter (for IBM).

If you are interested in a cross between a cucumber and a kiwi which is the description I found via How to eat a Kiwano, treat yourself to this fruit from the Kalahari desert.

As for Tamarillo, it is a native of Peru and other Andean neighbors.

Its original name is Tree Tomato according to Wikipedia.

A culinary escapade for Green Day #50

Related: Post Punk Recipes: Now Playing: Vegan Soup