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Friday, October 12, 2007

I had an unofficial phone call from Gay Talese last Tuesday. He had just flown back from Colombia and he was cranky. “I’m happy to do an interview with you,” he said, “but what the hell could you ask me that’s not already out there? Have you even bothered to look?!”

“Jeez, Mr. Talese, lots of things,” was my response. I lied. The truth is that when I call people to interview them, I do not have a set of preconceived questions. My agenda is to talk to them and gain a sense of who they are; to flesh them out as humans. To find out what they think about the world around them at that moment. With Gay Talese I had little interest in talking about Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and with Augusten Burroughs I had little interest in discussing Running with Scissors. I want to know what they think about things outside of the boxes people have placed them in.

With a memoirist like Burroughs, even this is a challenge. What parts of his life he has not written about himself, other interviewers have strip-mined. When we met for dinner at Lavagna in the East Village, I explained to Augusten this issue. I suggested we make the interview more of a conversation to see if that would be more interesting. “Instead of you in the catbird seat,” I said, “let’s just talk.”

We struck an instant rapport. What set out to be an hour and half interview over dinner had turned into four hours of discussion about our lives similarly lived. I removed half of the interview: the half that focused on me.

Below is Wikinews reporter David Shankbone’s conversation with writer Augusten Burroughs.

A compilation of brief news reports for Monday, June 4, 2007.

MediaCorp Radio in Singapore has been fined 15,000 Singaporean dollars (US$9,800) over an on-air stunt in March in which female guests on a radio show were asked to remove their brassieres, and pose for video that was to be posted on the station’s website and on YouTube.

The Media Development Authority said the radio show’s hosts made improper and sexually suggestive remarks about “how fast the bras were removed, as well as the color, design and cup size of the bras, and the size of the girls’ breasts.”

Sources

• AP. “Fine for Singapore radio bra stunt” — CNN, June 4, 2007
• Sapa-AFP. “Station fined for bra contest” — Independent Online (South Africa), June 4, 2007

Researchers at University of Malaya say they have developed an erectile dysfunction cure from walnut extract.

“It takes about an hour for the effects to set in and it will last for about four hours,” said Professor Dr. Kim Kah Hwi of the Faculty of Medicine Physiology.

So far, 40 volunteers have tried the Viagra alternative, called “N-Hanz”, with positive results, Kim said. To make one pill, it takes about 3.3 kilograms (about 7 pounds) of walnuts.

Sources

• Royce Cheah. “Researchers produce Viagra alternative from walnuts” — The Star (Malaysia), June 3, 2007
• “Walnut pills rival Viagra” — Herald Sun, June 4, 2007

An 8-year-old Indonesian boy died after being attacked on Saturday by a Komodo Dragon at Komodo National Park on Komodo.

The boy was attacked while making a toilet stop in a bush, a park official said. “The dragon bit his waist, tossed him and dragged him. His right leg was badly scratched,” park spokesman Heru Rudiharto said. The boy then bled to death.

Attacks by Dragons on humans are rare, though the reptiles, which can grow to a length of 3 meters (9 feet), regularly kill such prey as pigs and small deer. Komodo Dragons are an endangered and protected species, and about 2,000 of them live in the wild, mainly on Komodo and nearby Rinca island.

Sources

• AP. “Indonesian boy killed in Komodo dragon attack” — CNN, June 4, 2007
• Fred Attewill. “Boy killed in dragon attack” — Guardian Unlimited, June 4, 2007

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Paranoria, TX, a modern radio drama hosted at internet-based AstroNet Radio, released its 100th episode. The episode is titled The People’s Choice and aired on Monday.

The station’s web site describes the show as “old school radio theater with a new and outrageous geeky spin!” In its early days, the show was featured solely at the long-running internet radio site TogiNet Radio, a site focused on talk radio. In late 2015, TogiNet established AstroNet Radio as a subsidiary station. The show originally featured amateur voice actors, local to East Texas. After some time, professional actors/talent came to be featured intermittently. Some of those were

• Kevin Betzer from television series Deep South Paranormal.
• Clu Gulager notably from The Virginian and The Fall Guy.
• John Gulager notably as director of Piranha 3DD.
• Diane Ayala Goldner notably from horror film franchise Feast.
• Vernon Wells notably from the films Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Weird Science.

Wikinews caught up with the show’s producer, George Jones, to discuss the show.

((WN)) First, tell our readers about Paranoria, Texas.

George Jones: Paranoria, TX started out as a little show that could. We really didn’t know what we were doing but we wanted to do Old School radio in a brand new format which consisted of a new script every week with a cast of voice actors. The result was a surprising hit and now the show has grown into something completely different than what it was in the beginning and we have followers worldwide. The basic premise of the story is that there is a group of nerds who come together plotting to take over the world but end up saving it time and again.

((WN)) When did the idea for the show first come to you?

GJ: I was called into the [TogiNet] studio for an interview about one of my events and while I was there the DJ asked me if I had ever thought about doing a radio show myself. I had no idea what I was going to do but I was intrigued and after a little brainstorming and utilizing my own creativity the show was born.

((WN)) You’ve written most of the scripts, right? Has anyone else helped you with writing?

GJ: I have written 90% of the scripts for the show. Eric Nivens, Alan Mendez, Jeremy Nagel and Matt McBride have also written a few scripts. It gets tough running a brand new 20-page script every week but somehow we’ve managed for almost a hundred weeks. We thank God for fans who keep us going, otherwise it would not have made it for so long.

Jones estimates since the first episode, the show has been downloaded roughly 30,000 times. The show is set to feature a spin-off series soon.

A compilation of brief news reports for Sunday, March 11, 2012.

The Bangladesh National Party (BNP), the national opposition, claims mass arrests of hundreds or even thousands of people across the state are aimed at thwarting a BNP rally tomorrow. The protest in the capital, Dhaka, is also hampered by hotels declining bookings and travel services shutting down.

The BNP hopes to oust the government and wants a return to elections under a neutral caretaker, which was ended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police respond that the arrests in the city aim to crack down on extortion, and illegal drugs and weapons. A spokesman said the timing was as much to do with an upcoming government rally and the Asia Cup as the BNP event.

Sources

• IANS. “Hundreds of BNP workers arrested in Bangladesh” — Gulf Times, March 11, 2012
• AFP/ck. “Hundreds detained ahead of Bangladesh protest” — Channel News Asia, March 11, 2012

The Italian cargo tanker Gelso M hit rocks off the coast of Sicily near Syracuse in poor weather yesterday. Surrounding reefs meant rescue boats could not approach and lifeboats not be launched when the captain ordered the ship abandoned; four helicopters carried the nineteen aboard to safety.

The weather is considered a likely factor for the accident. The engine room has flooded but a double hull is considered likely to prevent pollution.

Sources

• Indo-Asian News Service. “Ship runs aground off Italy” — Hindustan Times, March 11, 2012
• “Helicopter rescue for crew of ship aground off Sicily” — BBC News Online, March 10, 2012

The brother of an actress who once starred in UK soap EastEnders has been charged with her murder. Tony McCluskie, 35, was arrested after the Metropolitan Police pulled 29-year-old Gemma McCluskie’s torso from a London canal.

Searches continue for the rest of Gemma’s remains. Tony remains in custody and is due to appear before Thames Magistrates’ Court.

Sources

• “McCluskie murder: brother charged” — Press Association, March 11, 2012
• “EastEnders actress’ brother charged” — The Sydney Morning Herald, March 12, 2012

Monday, October 1, 2007

Charles de Kerckhove is running as an independent in the Ontario provincial election, in the riding of St. Paul’s. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

From the middle of July, Sony Corporation refreshed their senior laptop brand VAIO from “Video Audio Integrated Operation” to “Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer”. According to Sony Taiwan Limited, this refreshment is an attempt to relocate the laptop consuming market for business and entertainment factors.

In the “VAIO Experience 2008” press conference in Europe, Sony promoted their new product series for different populations including BZ for business, FW for home entertainment, Z for ultra-slim, and SR for complex applications.

Different with past series, Sony added “Clear Bright” screening technology for high-definition display, and “full-carbon production” features. BD-burning and Intel Centrino 2 processing technologies will be featured in all the new models. For security issue, Sony also embedded fingerprint system to prevent personal data to be stolen. Continued from TZ series, innovative designs including “Green Power Button”, “Situational Switch” are also added in newly-launched series.

“Due to consuming market differences, Sony only promoted BZ series in Europe and America but not included Asia. Although the TICA Show in Taipei will be different, functionality will be the greatest issue when a consumers choose a notebook [computer] before buying.” addressed by executives from Sony Taiwan Limited, during the “VAIO Experience 2008” press conference in Taiwan.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Police have arrested the owner of a mattress factory in Hay Hassini, Casablanca, Morocco which burned down in a disaster that claimed 55 lives. His son, who was the factory’s manager, was also arrested.

Those killed — 35 of whom were women — were trapped inside by locked fire exits, which were barricaded to stop theft during working hours. “The people who died were either asphyxiated or burned,” commented a firefighter. 17 were wounded. Moustapha Taouil of the Casablanca civil protection service said the blaze was triggered by an inadequatly maintained electric saw on the ground floor. The initial fire quickly engulfed all four storeys of the building.

The Rosamor factory was clearly operating unsafely, officials said. “It’s a building with a ground floor and three upper floors specialising in making furniture, therefore there were highly inflammable products,” said Taouil. “We confirmed during our examination that the owners of the premises failed to respect legal requirements for this kind of industry including staff training… the owner in contravention of the law, locked staff inside the plant apparently to prevent theft of raw material. It was this that prevented them getting out. The fire was caused by lack of proper maintenance of certain machines and electrical installations.” He said a short circuit on the ground floor, which was filled with power saws, triggered the disaster.

As a result of the investigatons, “The plant’s owner, Adil Moufarreh, and his son Abdelali Moufarreh, who was the manager, have been taken into custody after having been questioned by police,” said an official.

28-year-old factory employee Fadila Khadija said “There was no emergency exit, the extinguishers were empty and the working conditions were difficult.” One source said that windows were also unusable as they were covered with iron bars. 20-year-old survivor Omar Elaaz said “I was working on the first floor as an upholsterer. The smoke came up from the ground floor where the foam rubber, wood and glue are stored. I used a gas bottle to break the wire mesh that protects every window.” 31-year-old upholsterer Hakim Hakki told of his own lucky escape and its effect on him from hospital: “I jumped from the third floor with four other colleagues while the women, who didn’t dare to follow us, perished in the inferno. God saved me but I’ll never forget those who died.”

The father of deceased 19-year-old Abdelazziz Darif said his son was paid 250 dirhams (20 euro/31 US dollars) per week and did not have social insurance.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Over the past week, diplomatic actions have averted — or, at least delayed — military strikes on Syria by the United States. Wikinews sought input from a range of international experts on the situation; and, the tensions caused by Russia’s support for the al-Assad regime despite its apparent use of chemical weapons.

File:Ghouta chemical attack map.svg

Tensions in the country increased dramatically, late August when it was reported between 100 and 1,300 people were killed in an alleged chemical attack. Many of those killed appeared to be children, with some of the pictures and video coming out of the country showing — according to witnesses — those who died from apparent suffocation; some foaming at the mouth, others having convulsions.

Amongst Syria’s few remaining allies, Iran, China, and Russia continue to oppose calls for military intervention. In an effort to provide a better-understanding of the reasoning behind their ongoing support, the following people were posed a range of questions.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Daniel Snaith, better known as Caribou, formerly known as Manitoba until a lawsuit by musician Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba, recently played New York City‘s Bowery Ballroom. Below is Wikinews reporter David Shankbone’s conversation with the electronica pioneer.

David Shankbone: How is the tour going?

Caribou: It’s been really good so far. We started with a few festivals in Europe and then did a month around the UK, Germany and France. Over here we just did Canada and this is the start of a big tour for us around the States. Then Europe for another month. It’s pretty full on, but I love playing shows.

DS: How do European and American audiences compare to each other?

Caribou: I get asked that all the time and I feel people are expecting some kind of an answer like we are better received in Europe, and I don’t know if people expect that of an electronic musician.

DS: But they are more electronic in Europe than they are here, right?

Caribou: Maybe, but my experience is that people are more similar than different in all the shows, and the reaction is more similar than different.

DS: You reach the same fans in each place?

Caribou: Yeah people are so connected to the interests that they share with other people around the world. It’s not like one place is completely different from another anymore.

DS: Do you play to larger audiences over there or here?

Caribou: It’s about the same, again. When we play in London we play about same size venue and size crowd as we do here.

DS: Do you have a favorite venue?

Caribou: A few, actually. Bowery Ballroom is one of my favorites. It’s always awesome. The sound is so good here, which is really important. It sounds good on stage, which is important for getting into the show. We always have really amazing crowds in this place called Richards on Richards in Vancouver. This venue in Slovenia we played that is this old commune squat that has lots of gigs and art going over there called the Metalkova. The best ones are the surprises we’ll play in a tiny little town in some venue that is like whatever.

DS: What would be a dream venue to play?

Caribou: Something along the lines of this place we played in the south of France that was this 1920s arts patron villa where Cocteau and all these people lived and worked, and we played just outside there overlooking the French Riviera during this tiny little festival, so those ones are always fun when you just end up at some idyllic spot where they have put together a little festival with great bands. Those tend to be in Europe, to be honest. The surprise is part of the enjoyment when you arrive and it’s like, this is an insane place to play.

DS: Is there a continent you haven’t played where you would like to?

Caribou: We have never been to South America. Brazil.

DS: Rio or São Paulo?

Caribou: I can’t remember, I think people—I’d love to go to Rio, but friends who have played in Brazil have said that shows are amazing everywhere.

DS: How has the Iraq War affected you as an artist?

Caribou: Not too much, directly, to be honest. The process of recording music, for me, is very insular. I’m just recording at home and it’s very much headspace music. I’m escaping and I’m not a social commentarian or anything. It’s more about escaping into this world of sound in my head. I don’t think it’s affected the business of us touring or anything at all.

DS: Has it affected you as a person?

Caribou: I’m an opponent of the war and I live in the UK where I live under a government that has taken troops to the war or whatever. It hasn’t changed my perspective that much where I feel there have been lots of terrible situations like this in the past and you just have to do whatever is in your power. I was at the big march in London. Use your vote and protest in whatever ways you can, but I haven’t dropped everything in my life and drastically changed my life.

DS: Do you find you’re more inspired by manmade things or things in nature?

Caribou: I think manmade things, but specifically ideas. I’m not interested in things in the real world as much as I am interested in mental ideas and mental contexts. That’s why I did a PhD in Pure Maths, this elegance of pure ideas and things that are somewhat intangible and about ideas. Music is very much like that, playing around with ideas and creating this aesthetic of sound.

DS: What sort of ideas inspire you?

Caribou: In mathematics at the PhD level when I was studying was about constructing these elaborate systems and concepts, playing around with them, and fitting them together. More than ideas is playing around with the ideas, constructing them, and creating something out of them. For example, in music I will have an idea to put some different sounds together or a melody that meshes with a chord sequence or a sonic mood, or whatever. I’m not the type of person who takes physical things apart and plays around with them, but I like taking mental ideas apart and playing around with them. That’s what appeals to me about what I’ve spent my life doing.

DS: Would you consider your music to be mathematical?

Caribou: No, not at all. It’s completely aesthetic almost. It’s about tinkering around with ideas in my head and seeing what kind of sound that actually produces.

DS: Do you have a favorite mathematician or unsolved mathematical problem?

Caribou: I’m not that kind of person. I liked doing mathematics and learning about it, but I was never into mathematical history beyond what I was working on.

DS: What’s a trait you deplore in other people?

Caribou: Apathy or laziness. I’m the kind of person who is always doing something and get excited about something, and I find it frustrating when people get good ideas that are interesting and don’t make the most of that. Anything I want to do, I’m all about doing it as much as possible. Meanness, selfishness, obviously.

DS: What’s a trait you deplore in yourself?

Caribou: It’s probably twined with my possessiveness and being too controlling of the things I’m doing, which is probably related to the fact I’m so excited to do things. That’s the flip side of it, I suppose. Even more so, my self-centeredness. I spend all my time making this music, and I’m really proud of it and happy with it, but I kind of feel it is indulging my interests.

DS: You think that might be a negative?

Caribou: I do, because there are better things I could be doing in this world. I don’t know, I could be more helpful to humanity than just sitting in my room making music, but I enjoy doing it so much that I make the decision to do it.

DS: That’s a challenge for any human of whether or not to pursue something you think is a greater good or indulge yourself. How do you wrestle with that question?

Caribou: I guess like most people I avoid it to a certain degree. I hopefully strike some kind of compromise, but very heavy on doing what I’m excited about.

DS: Well, we need music in this world and if people are responding to it, you’re giving something to them.

Caribou: Yeah, I hope so, or maybe you are just trying to make me feel good.

DS: Maybe. [Laughs] Hillary or Barack?

Caribou: My gut reaction would be Barack, but I’m not really on top of American politics to endorse either.

DS: What do you think of Gordon Brown?

Caribou: He’s a funny one to pin down. I can’t figure him out. The effect of having him in government is probably going to be pretty close to the effect of having Tony Blair in government, which is a shame. I’d like to see someone more old Labour and Socialist, I guess. There’s always a hint that he is that, but I don’t think it will be reflected in his policies.

DS: What would be a bigger turn-off for you in bed, someone who was overly flatulent, or someone who spoke in a baby voice?

Caribou: I could get over the baby voice, but the flatulence is a tough one to stomach.

DS: Do you have a favorite curse word?

Caribou: Nothing is springing to mind.

DS: Favorite euphemism for breasts?

Caribou: Nope.

DS: If you had to choose between the destruction of the entire continent of Africa or the entire continent of Asia, which would you choose?

Caribou: Oh, God. So, population-wise. It’s tempting…I think that is the only way to choose. Killing a greater number of people has to be a greater evil. That’s maybe the bottom line. I would hate to make that decision.

DS: What are traits you respect in a woman?

Caribou: The same traits I look for in anybody else in the world: kindness, thoughtfulness.

DS: It doesn’t differ in men?

Caribou: No. Being a nice human being is what I look for in anybody.

DS: What’s your most treasured possession?

Caribou: I have a massive record collection I obsess over, and it would be hard to let that go.

DS: Any favorite films?

Caribou: I haven’t been able to see any in the last couple of months, but in the last year I went through a complete Herzog obsession. I watched all of his films, I read Herzog on Herzog and even read Kinsky’s biography. Almost all of his films are incredible.

DS: What difficult question in an interview do you anticipate but are never asked?

Caribou: I actually don’t anticipate the difficult ones, which is why when you asked me to destroy one continent I didn’t see that one coming.

DS: What question are you tired of answering?

Caribou: The ones I get asked the most, and I don’t mind answering them, but I don’t relish answering them: I had to change my name from Manitoba to Caribou a couple years back due a law suit. I don’t mind this one anymore, but at first I got asked that in every interview. And also, the connection between mathematics and music, which you asked me in a form. That’s a valid question, though, because it’s a point of interest about the way that I work. The lawsuit is like reciting a history of facts I’d rather forget.

DS: In the last year, where have you drawn most of your influence, and you can’t have been listening to them beyond a year ago.

Caribou: The big thing for me in the last year that is reflected in this album more than in previous ones is songwriting. I never wrote songs I just built tracks out of loops. There were melodies in them, but there wasn’t any structure to the songs. One artist I didn’t’ listen to before a year ago was Ariel Pink who is a lo-fi indie songwriter and producer. His production is amazing, but it turns people off because it’s so lo-fi; but also, his song-writing is amazing.