After 8 years of doing my web talk show, I thought it was time to share some outtakes and bloopers. And what a better time to do it than the holidays, right? Usually for my Christmas Spectacular I like to hit the streets and cause some Christmas-y mayhem, but this year I thought some bloopers might make a better gift to ya’ll, my peeps. Because what’s more fun than watching me mess up and make even more of an idiot out of myself than usual, right? So grab a nice big mug of cocoa, sit back, relax, and click play. Time to watch The Resident Lori Harfenist try really hard to make it work. Snippets are from the following shows: Responsibility of Wall Street, Six Ways to Save, How the Auto Bailout Can Save Our Country>/a>, 10 Differences Between Obama and McCain, Mass Media Sucks, How to Environment, Stop Buying Gossip Magazines, and more from my work on NBCNewYork.com. [More] [Less]

In this political video, I hit the street to ask the good people of Brooklyn what change specifically they expect President-Elect Obama to bring. Some people had good, solid answers that seem feasible. Some people just had colossal expectations short only of the Second Coming. And those people will be greatly disappointed, I’m afraid. I voted for Barack Obama because I want to see a change in this country’s god-awful culture. For too long, we’ve been worshipping celebrity, ogling material goods, fattening our waistbands, and not giving two craps about any other culture or peoples. To me, that’s been one of the worst problems in our country. And to me, just having a liberal, leftist, African-American president immediately shifts that. Someone who isn’t an old white man can be president, it means, and that alone is a fact that bends the cultural norms of this country. So I’m satisfied with my choice already. And, I’m not expecting him to change all THAT much else, to be honest. Because at the end of the day, that one man is going to have to work with a whole lot of crooked, old politicians who all owe lobbyists and special interests up the yin-yang. That hasn’t changed, and that’s a big piece of the puzzle. So to all the people waiting for Obama to turn this country into a Utopia, I say: chill. It ain’t going down like that. And to all the people sneering at those people saying, we told you he wasn’t a savior, I say: chill. He HAS made a big impact already, and at least let him start the job before your leer becomes permanent. [More] [Less]

President Elect Barack Obama ran on a platform of change. It’s been a month since he was elected, and though he hasn’t even taken office yet, the world – led by the media – is already demanding to see this change. This is annoying to me, so I thought it was time for some political commentary. People! He hasn’t even taken office yet! Why are we already standing in judgment of how Obama is doing on the job when he isn’t on the job yet? Once again, the real reason is the media and their lovely way of trying to dig a story out of thin air. I know everyone has sponsors to answer to and with the advent of 24-hour news channels, it’s really hard to always be good and always be ethical. But still. Can’t we be a little more creative than to criticize a President Elect? That’s just lame. Once he starts the job in January, then it’s the time to judge him. If he starts screwing up on the job, by all means, critique away. I’ll be the first in line, actually. But let’s just wait til he gets into office, ok? Ok. Thanks. That’s my political commentary for this week. What’s yours? [More] [Less]

It's the holidays, people. I am taking the week off. But I still thought I might try to make you laugh with this funny video. Because what's better to help you digest Thanksgiving Turkey than watching someone punch someone else hard in the face?

This is some classic alternative news reporting right here for you. I thought I’d hit the streets to ask people how they are handling the global economic recession, and the responses I got were a whole lotta fun. Most people are starting to cut back in sensible ways, like going out to eat less or not buying crap they don’t need. And hey, we could use less crap on the planet anyway, right? So that’s one positive about the recession, right? Ok, so yes, it really sucks that people are losing their homes and many are having trouble putting food on the table. I’m having a really rough time of it right now myself. But the bottom line is, if we reach down within us deeply, we can usually find stores of energy and resources that we hadn’t yet tapped into. And there is something really beautiful about that, I think. I’m not going to say that the recession is a good thing, even though I’m tempted to for reasons like we don’t buy so much crap and that’s better for the environment and blab la bla. But I will make this funny video to lighten the mood for a little, and to remind people that they can and will survive. Godspeed people. [More] [Less]

This one is ripe for political commentary. If you haven’t heard yet, the US government is considering expanding the recent bailout…excuse me…rescue plan…to include fund allotment to the failing US auto industry. Companies like Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler will receive funds to help them sustain an industry that supports over 250,000 jobs in the US, plus another 4 million related jobs in our economy. To me, this seems like another knee-jerk reaction, a quick band-aid with no thought of a long-term plan, checks and balances, or anything else I would expect to be present when devising a multi-million dollar plan. I, for one, have an idea of how we can kill two birds with one stone. This is a great opportunity to both help the auto-industry, which has failed us for years, and to help our country get off its dependency on foreign oil. Ever hear of the Manhattan Project? That’s the kind of plan I’m talking about. So I decided to hit the streets of New York City to get some political commentary from passersby on the issue. Watch the video to hear my plan and people’s reactions. [More] [Less]

Personally, I don't know anyone who hasn't decided for which candidate they’re voting in the 2008 US Presidential Elections. And yeah, they’re all voting for Obama. I can’t imagine not having made up my mind at this point, either way. How could you not know enough yet? We’ve watched three presidential debates, we’ve seen their stumpy speeches all over the TV, web, and for some of us, even performed live on our streets. Everyone should know the rhetoric and the campaign promises by now. If you don’t, here’s a quick rundown of 10 issues where Obama and McCain have clearly different viewpoints and intentions. But seriously: Do you really trust a campaign promise to come true? I don’t. History kind of proves that, once a candidate gets into office, promises go out the window and reality barges in without knocking. The president has to work with the legislative branch to try to get anything done. Initiatives and bills are bundled, making it almost impossible to keep track of who votes for what. It’s all a big mess down there in Washington, and I can’t imagine wanting the job. So, while I genuinely like Obama’s platforms, I don’t really think they’ll happen quite like he promises. I’m not going to blame him for it; that’s just the way our government works. The real appeal of Obama for me is less about his campaign promises and more about his persona. He speaks in a language that makes sense to me. He doesn’t talk in circles, he doesn’t giggle at inappropriate moments. He doesn’t try to divert my attention away from the issue at hand. These are rare qualities in a politician in our government, and they’re ones I would absolutely love to see in our next President. Not to mention he’s a minority. It’s about time we try someone who isn’t a rich old white dude in the Oval Office. So yeah. I’m voting for Obama. If you still don’t know for whom to vote, maybe this political video will help. [More] [Less]

Go green. Environmentally friendly. Eco-conscious. Environmentally sound. Environmentalism. Our culture is on this social responsibility bandwagon, folks, and there is no getting out of it at this point. Now, I personally believe that we all should be better inhabitants with cleaner habits. I never litter, and I always make my bed. I'm generally a neat person, so it just makes sense to me that we be neat wherever we tread. And I also believe there is no denying that our consumerist ways have created more carbon dioxide emissions, which in turn are bad for the planet. The extent of human-caused damage is arguable; the fact that we could do better is not. But man, I just hate trends. And this green social responsibility trend is just getting started in our society. So, I thought I'd take some time out to poke fun at it. Because some of the tips I'm starting to hear basically suggest that we regress into caveman behavior - using the sun to cook rice and all that. Yes, we need to be better global citizens, but does that mean we give up on all that separates us from the cro mags? What do you think, guys? [More] [Less]

As the US plummets into an economic recession, many bad side effects are being felt by all: the higher cost of gasoline and oil is translating to a higher cost of everything. This sucks. But, I can't help but wonder: is there a glaring positive side to this social issue for our culture and society, too? That might sound really unpatriotic, and I'm sure I'll be accused of being a countercultural traitor of some sort, but to me it rings true. We SHOULD be biking to work. We SHOULD be figuring out ways to cut our dependency on foreign oil, sinking resources into alternative, renewable, eco-friendly fuel sources. We SHOULD be sinking less money into other environmental, cultural, and social pollutants, like paper products, gossip magazines, and seven hundred dollar handbags. A recession will make us stop and think about where we dispose of our disposable income, since we'll have less of it. And we might just make a lot of choices that are better for our planet, for our culture, for our global status. No one likes us anymore, America: so maybe we need this economic time-out to figure out why. So now, go ahead: call me a big fat traitor. I'm used to taking the abuse. Let me know your two cents on this social issue. [More] [Less]

How/whythefuck is it legal to inflate the value of homes, property, or other assets to the point where a market downswing would mean the disappearance of trillions of dollars? To me, that sounds like nothing more than the behavior of someone with a gambling problem. Except this addict just happens to be a collection of bankers who just pissed away all our tax money. And that pisses me off. I certainly don't take high risks that might cost other individuals their homes. Why/howthefuck can these suits? And how can the government think a bailout will be anything but a band-aid, and a cheap, generic one at that? You know, the kind that falls off after an hour of minor bending? Seriously, doesn’t the government and Wall Street have a little more social responsibility than that? I don't want to see this country fall into a depression any more than the next citizen, but it seems like it was this kind of irresponsible risk-taking that got us into this mess. I don't think it's going to get us out. We need to change our behavior here - as a nation and as individuals - and until that happens, we're just going to continue to keep sliding further into debt, until Mexican pesos finally are worth more than our dollars. Just my devalued two cents. [More] [Less]

At the start of this summer, I took a break from my web talk show and went to Cozumel, Mexico, where I stayed at the house of a friend for 10 perfectly awesome days. While I was there, I made sure to check out as much of the local culture and favorite places as possible, including their beaches. One day, I was relaxing at a quiet, secluded beach restaurant (bar), eating some ceviche mixto, enjoying a leetle drink, and I noticed that some good music was wafting from their speakers. Some REALLY good music. It was my first introduction to Cumbia, the dance music from Colombia. A variant of the African Guinean cumbe music, Cumbia is highly rhythmic and full of emotion. I loved it. In fact, I bought the CD from the bartender right then and there with the pesos I had. The CD has been the backdrop of my entire summer, so I thought I would do a video on my leetle web talk show for my favorite song on it. It's a song called Cuerpo Sin Alma, and it rules. Enjoy. [More] [Less]

This is a fun political video if I do say so myself. No one would deny this is a pivotal election year in the United States. Since each American has to choose which candidate gets his or her vote, you'd think our media would focus on presenting helpful information to inform citizens' voting preferences for the betterment of our country. You know, like, FOCUS ON THE ISSUES?! But no, all of our media outlets continue to focus on the sensational, the scandalous, and the sexy parts of the candidates' offerings (the latter of which, a stretch). Instead of talking about Lipstick on a Pig, TV news might consider outlining each candidate's step-by-step plan for healthcare reform. Or how the candidates intend on rescuing us from dependency on oil. But no, it's much more interesting to talk about what designer jacket Sarah Palin was wearing during her fluff speech, right? And that's really going to get our country out of this financial crisis and cultural cesspool, right? Riiiiiight. So, to the American mass media that remains bent on primarily covering the superficial and distracting facets of the election, I salute you, with this incredibly sarcastic political video. [More] [Less]

Here’s the facts behind the countercultural medical controversy known as stem cell research: stem cells are basically undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into loads of different cell types: heart, lung, liver, brain, etc. So basically, they’re blank slate cells that can be used to build healthy tissue to help people whose tissues are damaged by disease or other injury. This all sounds great, right? So what’s the big social controversy, right? The controversy is that stem cells are often harvested using embryonic tissue — and religious people don’t like no one messing with no embryos. Ever. Amen. Apparently, stem cells are outside the cultural acceptance point. Personally, I’m pretty sure I’ll never know when a human life officially starts or when a human soul officially enters this reality. I’m happy with it being my lot in life NOT to know. Some things are just of other worlds, planes, or dimensions, and I’m ok with that. I certainly don’t want to mess with other people’s certainties, though, regardless (or especially) if I don’t agree with them. Especially over there in the mainstream’s conservative right. So when I found out in an alternative news source that scientists over at Medistem had found a brand-new place to harvest stem cells, I figured I should share the research. The new source? Menstrual blood. Watch the vlog to hear the story. [More] [Less]

Here’s the facts behind the countercultural medical controversy known as stem cell research: stem cells are basically undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into loads of different cell types: heart, lung, liver, brain, etc. So basically, they’re blank slate cells that can be used to build healthy tissue to help people whose tissues are damaged by disease or other injury. This all sounds great, right? So what’s the big social controversy, right? The controversy is that stem cells are often harvested using embryonic tissue — and religious people don’t like no one messing with no embryos. Ever. Amen. Apparently, stem cells are outside the cultural acceptance point. Personally, I’m pretty sure I’ll never know when a human life officially starts or when a human soul officially enters this reality. I’m happy with it being my lot in life NOT to know. Some things are just of other worlds, planes, or dimensions, and I’m ok with that. I certainly don’t want to mess with other people’s certainties, though, regardless (or especially) if I don’t agree with them. Especially over there in the mainstream’s conservative right. So when I found out in an alternative news source that scientists over at Medistem had found a brand-new place to harvest stem cells, I figured I should share the research. The new source? Menstrual blood. Watch the vlog to hear the story. [More] [Less]

We all know life is pretty short, right? And those of us that don’t, well: they’ll find out soon enough. With my short time on the planet, it seems like the most I can hope for is to make some positive difference through social commentary, alternative, news coverage, or other counterculture efforts before I check out. Something that I feel improves our culture and society through reaching people on a more soulful or heart-felt level – even if it’s through silly social commentary videos. So that’s what I strive for every day: to make some small difference to at least one person. Some days that difference is bigger than others. Some days it’s just saying hi to an older person who looks a little lonely. [More] [Less]

One of the biggest social issues relief organizations face in the critical early hours after a disaster occurs - natural or manmade - is coordinating efforts with other organizations. Despite a growing rate of natural and man-made catastrophes, the main tool for rescue organizations in our culture remains the pen/paper combo. Enter Global Relief Technologies (GRT), who coordinates relief groups like the Red Cross and the military during catastrophic events using an ingenious countercultural tool called [More] [Less]

I generally never watch sporting events on TV, whch is why I rarely talk about sports on my web talk show. I like to check out a live game/match/meet now and then, especially if beer and bad food is being served and it’s 80 degrees out. But that’s about as far as my mainstream sports-watching goes. Now if it’s something more countercultural like, say, those awesome Japanese sporting events you can watch on higher-number cable channels, count me in. So, back in December, 2007, when US Senator George Mitchell released a report naming dozens of baseball players as users of performance-enhancing drugs, I was all, big WHUP. Who cares? Let them shrink their peepees, turn themselves into mutants, and die prematurely. This is their choice. But when I hit the street to ask people what they thought about drug use in our sports culture, I started to think about the repercussions of the phenomenon from another viewpoint: the view of the little 8-year old kid who looks up to these dumb lugs as role models. Yeah, I don’t watch/care/think about steroids in sports, but there are plenty of people who get warm, fuzzy feelings from watching the events. Sports are a big deal in our society. People who pack up their little tykes, go over to the stadium, buy some peanuts, and bond with their families as they watch the game. And as one of the big lugs hits a homer/scores a goal/touchdown/whatever, the parent rubs the excited little kids’ head in the waning sunlight and says, “If you work really hard and practice whatever it is you do, YOU can be a team hero just like that.” And as robo-player rounds the bases/dances the touchdown jig/ble ble ble, he’s completely making a liar out of well-intentioned Dad and letting innocent Junior down. So yeah, I get it now: becoming robo-player by using performance-enhancing drugs in over-paid sporting arenas and not 'fessing up is a bad thing. But maybe the solution isn’t stopping using the drugs. Maybe it’s to just stop lying about it. On the back of every baseball card right underneath the player’s stats should be the drugs the player uses. That way, the kid knows exactly what it really takes to make it in the real world. Maybe that’s a whole lot less romantic, but at least it’s honest. So I decided to cover it on my awesome web talk show. Go, team! [More] [Less]

Here’s a little Residential secret: I worked in advertising for a long time, as a senior copywriter, for several agencies. These loathsome jobs required me to work in an office. At a desk. Usually in a cube that the office named something cute, like a “pod” or something. Not very countercultural of me, I know. I hated working in an office. It wasn’t the work itself I’m talking about; it was the office mentality and culture. The water-cooler talk, the social outings, the office politics, the small talk, the butt-kissing, all of it. But there was one thing about office culture that I hated most, and that was the unspoken rule that one must always look busy, no matter how un-busy you might actually be. It’s a valid social issue in our country. There is a ton of down time in a lot of offices, especially those that are service-based and have clients to deal with. You are constantly waiting for client feedback, instruction, briefings, etc. So you wait for that. And then when you get it, you’re extremely busy, desperate to meet a deadline. But until you get it, you wait. And while you wait, you are not allowed to sit looking like you’re waiting. You can’t read a book or take a nap, and you certainly can’t just go in the lounge and watch TV. You can surf the Internet a little bit, but only certain sites and only in moderation. So you pretend to be busy. You surf the net strategically, always having a few work documents that you aren’t working on open, ready to spring-load onto your screen in case anyone walks by. You talk quietly on the phone. You sit at your desk pretending to work. Is that the stupidest thing ever? I think so. Don’t you agree? Your commentary on this social issue, please… [More] [Less]

The economy is slowly or swiftly tanking, depending on your income level. No matter what your bracket, though, there's a good chance you're starting to feel...well...broke. Personally, I don't think John McCain or Barack Obama have any idea how to fix the problem just yet. so instead of spending another minute hounding them for an economic plan they just don't have, I thought I'd share these incredibly helpful money-saving tips. Because the bottom line is, it's your money. We all have a social responsibility to behave fiscal-ier. You deserve to hold onto every last, gold-free penny, and anyone who wants to tax them away from you to go to schools and other programs can go straight to hell. That's the Christian way, right, right-wing conservatives? Where was I...? Oh right! Watch this week's video! What are your thoughts on this social responsibility issue? [More] [Less]

How/whythefuck is it legal to inflate the value of homes, property, or other assets to the point where a market downswing would mean the disappearance of trillions of dollars? To me, that sounds like nothing more than the behavior of someone with a gambling problem. Except this addict just happens to be a collection of bankers who just pissed away all our tax money. And that pisses me off. I certainly don't take high risks that might cost other individuals their homes. Why/howthefuck can these suits? And how can the government think a bailout will be anything but a band-aid, and a cheap, generic one at that? You know, the kind that falls off after an hour of minor bending? Seriously, doesn’t the government and Wall Street have a little more social responsibility than that? I don't want to see this country fall into a depression any more than the next citizen, but it seems like it was this kind of irresponsible risk-taking that got us into this mess. I don't think it's going to get us out. We need to change our behavior here - as a nation and as individuals - and until that happens, we're just going to continue to keep sliding further into debt, until Mexican pesos finally are worth more than our dollars. Just my devalued two cents. [More] [Less]

Go green. Environmentally friendly. Eco-conscious. Environmentally sound. Environmentalism. Our culture is on this social responsibility bandwagon, folks, and there is no getting out of it at this point. Now, I personally believe that we all should be better inhabitants with cleaner habits. I never litter, and I always make my bed. I'm generally a neat person, so it just makes sense to me that we be neat wherever we tread. And I also believe there is no denying that our consumerist ways have created more carbon dioxide emissions, which in turn are bad for the planet. The extent of human-caused damage is arguable; the fact that we could do better is not. But man, I just hate trends. And this green social responsibility trend is just getting started in our society. So, I thought I'd take some time out to poke fun at it. Because some of the tips I'm starting to hear basically suggest that we regress into caveman behavior - using the sun to cook rice and all that. Yes, we need to be better global citizens, but does that mean we give up on all that separates us from the cro mags? What do you think, guys? [More] [Less]

At the start of this summer, I took a break from my web talk show and went to Cozumel, Mexico, where I stayed at the house of a friend for 10 perfectly awesome days. While I was there, I made sure to check out as much of the local culture and favorite places as possible, including their beaches. One day, I was relaxing at a quiet, secluded beach restaurant (bar), eating some ceviche mixto, enjoying a leetle drink, and I noticed that some good music was wafting from their speakers. Some REALLY good music. It was my first introduction to Cumbia, the dance music from Colombia. A variant of the African Guinean cumbe music, Cumbia is highly rhythmic and full of emotion. I loved it. In fact, I bought the CD from the bartender right then and there with the pesos I had. The CD has been the backdrop of my entire summer, so I thought I would do a video on my leetle web talk show for my favorite song on it. It's a song called Cuerpo Sin Alma, and it rules. Enjoy. [More] [Less]

This heartfelt personal video might be my all-time favorite of my web talk show. For real, yo! This video was my first bona fide YouTube homepage feature. They ran it on the top of their homepage on the day Kurt died. And honestly, if there was any video I would have chosen myself to share in such a high-profile way, it would have been this one. So thanks YouTube. But more so than that, thanks, Kurt. I read a lot, and Kurt is still my top favorite author. I like to go back to old favorites over the years to see if they still hold up. Some of them do, and some of them don’t. John Updike is an amazing writer, and while I respect his awesome talent and proliferation of work, I can’t say his work held up for me personally when I recently re-read the Rabbit series. It’s not that the work isn’t superlative: I just found it incredibly depressing this time around, and its messages didn’t resonate as much. I’ve had similar experiences with other writers over the years. But never with Kurt’s work. Maybe one day I’ll go back to it and feel like it’s not as perfectly right as I’ve always felt, but so far, by far, he’s still my number one. So this video for my web talk show is a little reading I did of his, coupled with my own commentary. It’s from his work, “A Man Without a Country”, a really great book about the culture of the United States and how he feels about it. [More] [Less]

I love the band, System of a Down. Again, one of my personal, heartfelt favorites. And their song, “Lost in Hollywood”, speaks to me personally about our culture in the US today. I am super-creeped out usually when I spend more than 4 days out in LA-LA-land (Los Angeles for all of you non-US viewers), so the lyrics to this song, well, ring true. Super ghetto and grassroots, I know. Still I think this video rulz. [More] [Less]