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]

This episode of my web talk show is a little bit different: I had two of my favorite artists sit down to interview each other on the state of art in our culture and society today. Meet Tomato from the rock band, The Sound of Urchin, and Adam Lough, the director/writer of “Bomb The System”, “The Upsetter”, and “Weapons.” Adam’s won awards from Sundance, Tomato has rocked it hard at South by Southwest. Both have faced the frustration of having to deal with business people and constraints when trying to just get their art out there to the public. Both are currently dealing with the effects of the Internet and social networking as well. While it’s true that now anyone can put their out there, it’s also true that the market is now flooded with a lot of talentless fame-seekers. Watch the web talk show interview to hear some really interesting stories and perspectives from both Adam and Tomato, then share your own thoughts in the Comments. [More] [Less]

Aside from a few magical numbers on health care and taxes, it was just another pile of rhetoric. Short little political video for ya here.

This is some fun political commentary. I went into Times Square this week to ask masses of Americans for whom they'll be voting in the US Presidential Election come November. And since it was Times Square, there was no shortage of crazy. Which was awesome! There was also a clear winner, which surprised me. I intentionally tried to ask people from all cultures, races, creeds, and social status, and still I was kind of surprised at the clear-cut result. It was also nice to hear a lot of intelligent answers in the mix, too. While I was incredibly annoyed (as usual) at the bustling, pushing mass of busy bodies that is Times Square or any tourist gathering in the city, I was also strangely proud of the diversity of opinion and intelligence - with just the right dash of absurd - that poured forth from my fellow Americans. So watch the video and then let me know, who do you want to win? NOTE TO FOREIGNERS: just pretend you CAN vote on my site here, ok? Your political commentary vote counts. With ME. [More] [Less]

So gem66meg brought up the topic of the death penalty again on the Residential Forum, and it reminded me that it was a social and cultural issue I had been meaning to cover in a political video. Thanks, Gemmeg! Then, I read this story, which is essentially it is about a guy on death row in Ohio who says he is too fat to be executed. The way people are executed there is by lethal injection, and the guy asserts that it will be too hard to find a vein and that his extra weight might weaken the lethally injected drugs, making it take a lot longer and be a lot more painful for him to die. The guy was convicted of rape and murder, by the way. So, yeah…watch the video and then give your two cents on the issue of death penalty. Are you for it, or against it? Full story [More] [Less]

American politics. GAWD I'm sick of them. I mean I'm sick of all politics, globally, exponentially, but right now, with all this rhetoric-filled convention crap going on, I'm really sick of this upcoming US election broohaha. [sic?] I tried to watch the Democratic National Convention for about a minute, while Bill Clinton was speaking - and you guys say I look tired? - and had to shut it off. I was depressed. Luckily, I had some good wine at the ready. There is no way I'm watching a minute of the Republican National Convention, that is for sure. Alas, you guys here on the Forum have reminded me that the rest of the world is counting on us Uhmericans to vote. For Obama. Sigh. Ok. I will. Please to enjoy this political video. [More] [Less]

I lost my father to cancer last year, and it sucked. Before then, I did not know what it was like to not only lose someone, but to lose someone to a disease that kills them slowly, painfully, while all you can do is watch. Not fun. Since it happened, more and more people that I know have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer. It is an awful, awful disease that I would not wish on anyone. So when I was approached by Stand Up To Cancer.org to help them get the word out about their work with a little alternative news piece, it was a no brainer. Of course! So I have formed a team with them to help raise money against this awful disease. The name of my team is Screw You, Cancer!Come check it out and see how you can help screw cancer, too. [More] [Less]

So I read a social issue study, which said that we as a society now say we have a lot more friends through social networking websites than we had before the Internet, but that they’re not CLOSE friends. And in fact, in our culture we have fewer close friends than we had before the Interwebbage. With so many more media alternatives out there, HOW are we growing smaller in our social circles? It’s the old quality versus quantity thing going on in this here study, folks. I tend to agree that friends known to us solely online can’t possibly be good, close friends, because much of our communication is lost in Internet translation. Humor, sarcasm, and the depth of real emotion are all lost in email, IM, texts, and otherwise. However, I have definitely connected with more people on a lesser level online, and made some relevant, meaningful connections. And no, I’ve never Internet dated so just RELAX on that tip. That’s a whole other social issue. I think Internet relationships are all good and fine and people should continue exploring this new social phenomenon. However, we really shouldn’t confuse online relationships for real, face-to-face ones, nor should we forget how import those carbon-based connections are. [More] [Less]

This is just great. Watch this grassroots, ghetto clip. So, I love watching Dr. Phil, because he is both grotesquely self-involved enough to be giving advice on national TV and pretty much right about human behavior, all at the same time. He has ingrained himself in our culture over here in the good ol’ US of A as therapist to EVERYONE IN OUR SOCIETY. He absolutely profits off of the misfortune of others, and yet those lame others actually seek his help and want to be used by him. What’s a good doctor to do? Suck his dentures a lot, I guess. Sorry for the grassroots style of reporting here, but sometimes ripping crap off TV is just too tempting. [More] [Less]

The gaming industry. It is a cultural behemoth. It is pervasive. It is also rich in social commentary. Let’s face it: the game industry is a great place to find out about where our culture is at, because what kids are playing reflects their likes, dislikes, and general mindset. The industry has grown exponentially since its inception as a countercultural side-note in the 70s. Kids be playing GAMES now, son! So when I got invited to check out 2005’s E3 Convention to create an alternative news report for them, I was incredibly psyched. A: free trip. B: paid to do what I like. C: E3 is a total trippy experience. Thanks so much, UGO.com! nyway, walking around the convention was an absolute sensory overload. It was so loud and bright and flashing and huge and BOOB infested, I didn’t know where to look first. Housed at LA’s Staples Center, the convention was a testament to all things in American society: it was super-sized, super-loud, overdone, and a helluva lotta fun. Violent games? Check. Large-breasted women trying to sell you stuff? Check. Huge sums of misallocated funds? Double-check. Maybe that last reason is why E3 is no more: it was simply too big or too expensive to keep up with its own bad self. Either that or they DIDN’T SELL TICKETS TO THIS GAMING WONDERLAND TO THE SOCIAL PUBLIC AT AFFORDABLE PRICES. Whatever. I’m just glad I got to experience the cultural phenomenon that was (America) E3 before it was no more. Update: I hear it’s coming back. Let’s hope I cover it again! [More] [Less]

The OJ Simpson case was at least seven-kinds of culturally significant. A famous black ex-athlete/loved celebrity accused of violently murdering his white ex-wife and her current lover. What’s NOT to be culturally significant and worth of my web talk show about this case in a society still affected by not-too-distant centuries of the enslavement of kidnapped Africans? The guy still insists on saying he didn’t do it, even though he named a new book “If I Did It”. Way to cash in on your ex-wife murder! The whole thing was a travesty, including the way race relations became the focal point of the trial commentary. The perception was that all black Americans believed him to be innocent, the yet-another victim of racism in this country, and that all white Americans believed him to be guilty, because they are all racist assholes. To me, it seemed like all the evidence pointed to him being very, very guilty. But who am I, other than a racist white asshole, right? That’s what I must be, and not a social commentary video-maker, right? Anyway, when OJ starting talking about his book “If I Did It”, I thought it would be good to hit the streets of Brooklyn for my little web talk show to find out who all thought he committed the murder and whether or not it was such a black and white case. Watch the video to find out. You might just be surprised. [More] [Less]

I’m totally a tech-geek, I’ll admit it. Well, ok. I’m an everything-geek, and technology is no exception. It’s necessary for all the social commentary, I think: to be tapped into geekdom. So I went to check out Wired’s NextFest to do a little grassroots reporting and see what people had in store for the future of technology, and boy was I…well…disappointed! I really love Wired magazine and even subscribe like the nerd I am. I get all my geeky info from alternative news sources as much as possible. But there just weren’t that many cool gadgets at this convention. A freaggin robotic bartender? Didn’t someone try that in 1950? Does our culture need this? I feel like I’ve seen a black and white TV commercial on some old-timey special that showcased such a product. And this is what Wired NextFest offers in the year 2006. LAAAAME. A hug shirt??? WTF??? I did, however, get to ride that cultural phenomenon that is known as a Segway, which sucked but was HILARIOUS, especially since GOB drives one. You never did change the way people scoot about in society, now, did you Ginger? And there were some revved up astro-nerds to talk to, and I like talking to them a lot. But overall, I give this exhibition a C. Average. And I expect so much more from the future, Wired! Catch ya next year for another grassroots report. [More] [Less]

Ok, so K-Fed totally played Webster Hall this one Saturday night, so my friend and I figured we had to stand outside to talk to all his weirdo fans to see why they liked him so much for my web talk show. The second-best part of the night was finding out that no one was going into the club to see him, they were there for the 80s night party on another floor. And even those were few and far between. The best part of the night was that this concert happened two days before Britney announced she was divorcing K-Fed. Which means I was so. Right. On the social commentary money. The worst part about the night was that K-Fed had a concert. Who in our society lets this happen? Who pours money into such talentless creatures? Does it never occur to these people that hey, we’re kind of feeding into the downfall of our culture and society here, so maybe we shouldn’t promote this talentless douchebag in hopes of making some cash and then dumping him in the nearest mall parking lot when we’ve used him up? Obviously, no. This doesn’t occur to these people. The question is, is that because they’re malicious and money hungry, or is it just that they’re plain old stupid? In either case, this was a funny video to make for my web talk show! [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]