Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Not only does the illustrious President of Iran have a blog (with a handy English translation for those of you who can't read Farsi) -- but it also sports a fully customizable color palette. Hilarious.

(For those of you who are woefully behind the times, Ahmadinejad will in fact speak at Columbia on Monday, and I will be stationed feet away with the biggest lens I can get my hands on.)

R.I.P Times Select

The Grey Lady may be skinnier, but now all of her online content is free.

(But I'm willing to bet that you still have to pay for the crossword...)

NYTimes Gets Liposuction;

Narrows waistline by 1.5 inches.

NYC Photography Laws to Be Re-Drafted

Booyakasha.

New York City Photography Restrictions, Redux

To elaborate on an earlier entry, after having read the veritable tome that is the "Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rules Relating to Permits Issued by the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting," I'd like to make myself perfectly clear:

While I find it quaint that the Mayor's office wants to impose a list of approximately 80 rules, regulations, and restrictions on the movement and activity of photographers and filmmakers, I have absolutely no intention of honoring those rules. Federal law stipulates that as long as a photographer is not trespassing on private property, he or she is allowed to take photos of whatever he can see and shoot from where he stands. This "Notice" is attempting to restrict what are, in essence, first amendment rights (If the KKK can legally parade through the streets, I can photograph them. Simple as that.), and I'm having none of it.

This is not to say that I have never trespassed on private property or never circumvented conventional authority as a photographer (though if you want those stories, you'll have to ask); but that's a risk I recognize and am willing to take. I am not, on the other hand, willing to be told that I cannot photograph my own city from its very public sidewalks.

For more information, check out PictureNY.

John Szarkowski Dies At 81

One of the greatest men I've ever met.

New York City to Require Permits for Photography

Oh HELL no.

"Crying Works! Who Knew?"

On behalf of all women who might have a lingering toe-hold on their last shreds of dignity, please shoot me.

For Everyone Who Thought That David Blaine Couldn't Possibly Get Any Dumber:

You were so, so wrong.

And I Thought My School Was Strict

13-Year-Old Arrested for Defacing School Desk.

New Blog From SND.org

The Society for News Design just launched a blog to delve into everything from the art of infographics to Helvetica haiku. (There was a contest, apparently.)

In other news, UCLA researchers spend all their time playing Scrabble with lasers.

Man Chainsaws House in Two in Divorce Split

Ah, literalism.

TimesSelect

The New York Times' online subscription to restricted and archived material is now free for all university students and faculty. Sweet!

Quack.

CNN's "Offbeat News" section seems like it's been preoccupied with ducks recently. First there was Plucky, a duck shot, refrigerated, resuscitated, and operated upon ... and now there's Stumpy, a duck recently born with four legs. My real question is, who the hell is naming these ducks, and what's wrong with him? If we've (largely) stopped naming humans after various personal attributes like Prudence and Chastity and Felicity and Faith, then why are we naming ducks after them, in manner of the seven dwarves?!

"Major Public Safety Crisis"?!

What.

Of Gay Sheep, Modern Science and Bad Publicity

...and don't forget the bad puns.

Express Security Lanes at JFK

Say "I'm not a terrorist!" for only $100 a year.

"Frustrated By Math, Student Stabs Her Teacher"

It must have been a really hard proof.

Just A Year?!

Not to over-simplify matters or anything, but:

1. Teenager has seizure on subway platform.

2. Teenager falls off of platform.

3. Train approaches. You know, one of those stainless steel ones where each car weighs 73,900 pounds.

4. Guy with two little kids present jumps down on top of teenager and pins him under oncoming train.

5. Mayor Bloomberg awards Guy with city's highest honor, the Bronze Medallion.

6. Donald Trump gives Guy $10,000. Various other donors set up a scholarship for his children, &c.

7. MTA gives Guy one year's worth of free subway passes.

...Is it just me, or does the MTA seem a little stingy after this guy managed to erase one notch on their "annual fatalities" list?

New Meaning for "Spiking" Food

What kind of a person do you have to be to target a labrador retriever?

Watch, one day when that bastard is senile and cooped up in a nursing home, some malicious aide will lace his gruel with tacks. Karma's a bitch.