The YouTube clip featuring MSNBC shouter Chris Matthews taking down hapless conservative talk show host Kevin James has been everywhere, most notably promoted by MSNBC itself. As an Obama supporter, and hater of content-free punditry, you’d think I’d get a kick out of that, wouldn’t you? Actually, no. The clip represents everything I dislike about political “analysis” done by talking head pundits of whatever stripe. In the clip, Matthews, trying out for the role of teacher-pundit, asks the clearly over-excited, over-matched James to explain exactly what Neville Chamberlain did in 1938 to appease Adolf Hitler. James can’t answer, but continues…
Month: May 2008
FriendFeed and Me
Posted in New Media and Tech, and Random Personal Nonsense
God help me, I signed up for FriendFeed, just to see what it’s all about. Mostly, I’m upset that the username Shelly was already taken. It’s mine, I tell you, mine! http://friendfeed.com/podcastpundit
This post is mostly a pointer to an excellent piece I just saw on ReadWriteWeb, called “Did Twitter Really ‘Outshine’ the Mainstream Media?”. I continue to love this site and its thoughtful commentary. The long and the short of it? Twitter can tell you about the earthquake first, or even help survivors communicate with the outside world and get help. But it can’t tell you the details, the scope of the disaster, or the long-term impact. I’m getting really tired of triumphalists claiming that tools like Twitter are effective replacements for the real, on-the-spot news coverage that requires more than…
Free for iPhone Users Only
Posted in New Media and Tech
I essentially admitted to a bit of iPhone envy yesterday. But this isn’t about that. Seems that AT*&T has opened up free wi-fi access for iPhone users at its hot spots (read, Starbucks). I find that disturbing. It seems to set up a class system of Internet access, based on the device you carry. I have no objection to AAT&T or Starbucks or anyone charging for wi-fi access. It is a service for which many people are willing to pay, and no one has an implicit right to free Internet. But opening the free wi-fi dour only wide enough for…