Bits & Pieces

(via Mashable)

The best of Russian television. (h/t BoingBoing)

Yet the view count on YouTube is rocketing. (h/t Mashable)

Trouble with a bird and a briefcase.

Want some help snaring $10,000 worth of media from the Apple iTunes store. Watch this widget:

From the LA Times:

FOR THE RECORD:
Sarah Palin: In some editions of Sunday’s Section A, an article about Sarah Palin’s speech to the National Tea Party Convention quoted her as saying, “How’s that hopey, changing stuff working out for you?” She said, “How’s that hopey, changey stuff working out for you?”

I’m glad they finally got the quote right.  Calling it out again by way of correction is just too good. (h/t TPM)

(h/t Very Short List)

As the New York Times is reporting, there is currently an international effort underway to negotiate a new treaty primarily aimed at protecting intellectual property.  And it is being done in secret.

Behind a veil of secrecy, the United States, the European Union, Japan and other countries are forging ahead with plans to coordinate an international crackdown on illegally copied music, movies, designer bags and other goods that change hands in sidewalk souks and Internet bazaars.

Negotiators, under intense pressure from media companies, luxury brands and other corporate victims of piracy, are scrambling to complete a so-called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by the end of the year.

But the process is running into growing criticism from Internet campaigners, lawmakers and even some people involved in it.

Since when is it good policy to negotiate law in secret and primarily for the benefit of private parties rather than sound policy reasons? One of the possible approaches apparently being considered would mandate some sort of regulations that would require ISPs to disconnect customers who content provider claim have engaged in illegal file sharing. Where is the due process? Why isn’t this just a way for a private industry to get law enforcement for its own protection for free?

More from the EFF, Public Knowledge and James Love.

YouTube has a site set up that allows viewers to vote on their favorite Superbowl ads. Right now the site features videos about the Superbowl and entertaining.  The actual commercials will be available after they are televised during the game.

In movies, an extended take is an uninterrupted shot that lasts much longer than normal as measured by the rest of the movie or movies in general. Geekweek nominates 20 of the  best extended takes.

My favorite is this incredible shot moving through a TV studio from Magnolia:

(h/t Andrew Sullivan)

Isn’t it funny when you walk into a investment firm, and you see all of the financial advisors watching CNBC — that gives me the same feeling of confidence I would have if I walked into the Mayo-clinic or Sloan Kettering and all the medical doctors were watching General Hospital…

–Senior portfolio manager, UBS, quoted by the terrific Barry Ritholtz on his blog The Big Picture.

(Via Andrew Sullivan)

This is great.