Joshua Heller

— 11 posts

From Los Angeles. Traveler, Writer, Cool-Dude. Awl, Current, Urlesque.

1358 views, 2 comments

The Best Occupy Wall Street Conspiracy Theory Videos

2011/10/17

The mainstream media presents misinformation about Occupy Wall Street, but there is also plenty of misinformation coming from the alternative media. Conspiracy theorists like to make ridiculous claims about New World Orders and cable TV shows, and they get millions of views doing it. Here’s a roundup of some of the best conspiracy theories about Occupy Wall Street.

‘Weirdly, this was recorded in XtraNormal and isn’t about an iPhone.’ »
2041 views, 4 comments

Apolitical College Students: An Advice Meme

2011/09/29

High unemployment rates and anti-austerity measures have radicalized many around the world to fight injustices by occupying the streets. This sort of demonstration was typical on college campuses in the 1960s.

Today’s college students have little in common with their international contemporaries, or with the freedom fighters who lived on campus before them. They’re too busy updating their Facebook statuses while listening to wonky dubstep basslines and drinking stockpiled cases of outlawed Four Loko.

Perhaps they don’t want to disappoint their parents, truly lack an ideology, or they don’t understand that protests for grassroots policy change can be more fun than frat parties. This seems like a generation of “Apolitical Millenial College Students.”

See all 20 of their protest slogans. »
216 views, 2 comments

Interview with Christopher Lauer, the Pirate Party’s New Voice in Berlin

2011/09/26

In an unprecedented win, members of Germany’s Pirate Party have been elected to Berlin’s city-state legislature. For the first time residents of Berlin gave 8.9% of their vote to the party, which wants to radically change government’s relationship to technology.

The new parliamentary Pirates, are now forming statutes for their new government. This is typical rigmarole that all parties must go through, but the Pirates are doing it differently. They’re already streaming their coalition party conversations through Soundcloud and as text on their site.

Read our interview with parliamentarian Chris Lauer. »
1380 views, 5 comments

eBay Twins: Celebrities Whose Autographs Cost the Same

2011/09/21

In this column we explore the endless world of things that cost the same on eBay. Even though these items may cost the same, some are more (nominally) valuable than others. We’ll help you decide which ones to purchase.

Growing up in HOLLYWOOD, celebrity culture comes as second nature to me. I’m an expert when it comes to AUTOGRAPHS. I’ll show you how to buy signatures from C-list celebrities for $6.55 when they’re really worth $7.50! With the money you save, you’ll be able to finally purchase that taquito you had fleeting thoughts about it in line at the gas station!

Things that Cost the Same on eBay: Celebrity Edition! »
1556 views, No comments

Rap Lyrics About Outmoded Technology

2011/09/12

Rappers try to impress audiences with their tech-savviness. It might seem cool in the moment, but rap feels antiquated once the gadget they’ve name-checked becomes obsolete. Here are 25 rap lyrics about outdated technology.

1. Sir Mix-a-Lot – “Beepers”

Beepers … Beepers … Beepers … Beepers …

Who even says Beepers anymore? We don’t use them, but we still know they’re called “pagers”.

Watch the video, and 24 more. »
1031 views, 1 comment

My Six Best Twitter Games That No One Played

2011/08/29

Twitter hashtag games are the global pastime of the digital age. We’ve all taken the time to “replace band names with pancakes” or contributed clever suggestions to “jobs Drake had before becoming a rapper.” But that American strain of rugged individualism runs deep through my veins and I’ve decided that I’m sick of playing their games! I’m going to start my own.

This first game requires the linguistic mash-up of two disparate ideas. I thought it might be fun to create something not seen since Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park employed deejays to scratch records while they scream-rapped. If scratch DJs joined indie bands they would be “Indie Rock Turntablists.”

I think I started it off really well. »
2344 views, No comments

The Meme Fallout of the London Riots

2011/08/12

All sides of London riot story are well documented because technology lets us write history in real-time. Here’s a round-up of some popular images and videos circulating the web.

Within hours of the unrest hundreds of photographs emerged of looters smiling whilst showing off their bounty of video games, televisions, and rice.

See the bag of Bismati. »
1767 views, 23 comments

The Guy Who Invented Google+ Is Running Out of Ideas

2011/08/08

Because Google+ was so successful, the company allowed the employee who created the product to pitch whatever new ideas he had. Nobody wanted to question these suggestions, so the company officially decided to just ‘go with whatever he says.’ Here’s a look at some of these services, scheduled to launch at the start of Q4.

‘Okay guys. Just hear me out.’ »
8603 views, 42 comments

Three Chatbots Answer the Proust Questionnaire

2011/07/28

Loneliness and alienation are hallmarks of modernity, but scientific researchers knew that talking to other people is terribly underwhelming, so they developed Artificial Intelligence. Now when you’re alone, you can open your laptop and have conversations with automated robots instead of people.

In the earliest days of the 21st century SmarterChild reigned supreme as the go-to chatterbot to instant message. Now he replies “My brain is retired but watch some cool videos!” In SmarterChild’s absence, several challengers have entered the market battling to become the new premier chatting-robot.

We wanted to get a true snapshot of what makes these contenders tick, so we went the Vanity Fair route and gave them the Proust Questionnaire.

See how they responded. »
3863 views, 35 comments

Casey Anthony Acquitted by Jury, Sentenced by Internet

2011/07/18

Casey Anthony was acquitted of all major crimes surrounding the death of her daughter Caylee, but many Americans are unhappy about the verdict. In 1992 LA rioted after officers were acquitted for beating Rodney King, but its unlikely that this will occur today because Americans concerned with this case are too busy watching Nancy Grace to turn over police cars and loot stores in their neighborhoods. Luckily they can lodge their discontent from the comfort of their sofas.

More than 770,000 people have liked the Facebook page “Fuck Casey Anthony” over the course of the trial. There are hundreds of pages dedicated to the nuances of hating Casey Anthony. Pages pointing out her “bacne”, obsessing over hitting her in the face with a metal pole, or simply calling her a Slut Extraordinaire (French for “extraordinary slut”). One Facebook page calls Casey Anthony Public Enemy #1. I’m sure that elusive al-Qaeda terrorist Aiman al-Zawahiri is a little embarrassed that he’s been pushed down a notch by the “tot mom.” The fair-minded people at Casey Anthony is a dumb bitch did not think the sentencing was harsh enough so they took to their polls.

Next: Team Casey. »