ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

This year’s New York Times Magazine “ideas” issue is out. It’s even weaker than last years, unfortunately, but there are a few bits and bobs that are OK. Highlights:

NCAA Psyop

In which UCLA basketball fans obtained the Instant Messenger number of the star player of rivals USC before a derby game, created a fictional account in the name of “Victoria”, and initiated an online flirtation with said player in the run-up to the game. When the player stepped up to take his first free throw of the game, the entire UCLA crowd chanted “Victoria! Victoria!”, as well as reciting the player’s telephone number en masse.

Negativity Friendships

In which a study suggests that friends bond much more easily over mutual dislikes then mutual interests.

Reverse Graffiti

In which a graffiti artist calls the council’s bluff by “writing” messages simply by cleaning already dirty/graffito’d walls.

Web-based Micro-Financing

In which a website (www.kiva.org) allows you to lend some guy in Africa £20 to start a clothing business etc. He then lets you know how the business is going. I might get involved in this, it looks pretty cool: you can have an international empire of business concerns, with people reporting to you etc., for a couple hundred quid. You don’t get to charge them interest, however, it’s more like a charitable donation that you will almost certainly get back (they claim it’s a 97% repayment rate).

Other mildly interesting ideas:

Taxing Virtual Economies
Voting Booth Feng Shui


And two potential album titles:

Workplace Rumours Are True
Yodeling Is Universal