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]

Ever do some drugs? I’m not going to say publicly if I have or not, so you can quit asking me. For reals. If you really want to know, you’ll have to ask me in person, and I’ll have to frisk you for a tape recorder before I answer. Because drugs are unacceptable unless you are some countercultural freak on the fringe of our society. But I digress. This here commentary video is about a story I read in an alternative news paper about one dude did a LOT of ecstasy over the course of his lifetime, and it completely messed up his brain. Now some people in our culture think that drugs are bad for this very reason: that they can mess up your brain. But I can’t personally help but wonder if our brains don’t need a little messing with now and then. Who’s to say our brains can’t be honed just like the rest of our bodies? And to those that say our brains should be left as god intended, I say: then why did god put mushrooms and pot in my backyard? That’s rhetorical, of course. [More] [Less]

The Residential Definition: -noun. a method of reading and spelling on the Web based upon phonetic interpretation of ordinary spelling. IMHO, grammar and spelling are pretty durn important to our society and culture as a whole. So as I’ve seen more and more people adopt Webonics into their everyday writing, I’ve gotten discouraged. It’s not really that much harder to include apostrophes, periods, or initial caps, is it? Much of Webonics just seems like it’s based out of laziness, then. But now I’m taking a harder look at the phenomenon. Because, in just my li’l lifetime, there have been many changes in grammar rules, new words have popped up, and alternate spellings have become acceptable. The world is changing quickly right now, what with super-fast digital communication increasing exponentially. So why wouldn’t the language reflect that? Moreover, isn’t a good thing that so many people are writing again? So, going against my usual liberal viewpoints, I was initially annoyed at Webonics…but then, well, just watch the alternative news commentary video. [More] [Less]

What kind of underwear do YOU wear? That was the big PRESSING question as I hit the street to do an alternative news piece on National Underwear Day last year for the good people over atFreshPair.com. This is not exactly a social commentary video, then, I realize. I mean…it’s about underwear. But the video was totally fun to do, especially because some dude actually tries on an awesome thong right on the street, but it definitely got me thinking about advertising in general. I mean, this video was made basically as an ad for FreshPair. Since I think underwear are a necessary, good product and FreshPair does a fantastic job of providing people a place to find just the right pair for their derriere, I really didn’t mind producing an ad for them. But that’s generally not the way advertising works in our society. It generally works by trying to sell you stuff you don’t need by making you feel like a self-conscious loser if you don’t have what they’re selling. This doesn’t work on all people all the time, but I certainly have fallen victim to being talked into buying something I probably didn’t need. So. What’s the point? The point is advertising is generally an evil arm of the badness of capitalism and consumerism at large. But it doesn’t have to be. It COULD be a way for good wares and um…goods…to be known to people in our society who could actually benefit from them through more honest advertising. Or by at least letting the advertising be an end-product itself, by being as entertaining as, say…oh…this video! [More] [Less]

Some people think that the climate crisis is an inevitable, cyclical shift that is going to happen no matter what humans do, and that Al Gore is an evil mastermind behind his own corporate interest or ego-driven mania, bent on becoming a countercultural revolutionist that eventually takes over our society starting through a cult-ish liberal community and/or youth movement. Some people think the climate crisis is definitely caused by the careless behavior of humans and corporations and that we must all change our high-polluting ways, adopting cleaner, more sustainable, conservative cultural habits if we are to provide a habitable planet for our children. Some people think it’s a little bit of both. And some people don’t think about it at all. Ever. Those seemed to be the people that were roaming the streets of Brooklyn when I went out the other day for this alternative news piece, talking with folks about preparing for the end of the world that we humans are causing. So this video is an instant classic, in my opinion. Because as we move forward into a collective consciousness smitten with “going green”, everyone is going to have an opinion pretty soon. [More] [Less]

Did you know that one sign of an empire's downfall is a fattening of the citizens of its society? As the obesity epidemic continues to spread in our culture here in the USA, I have to wonder if it is, indeed, a flashing red sign that we've become too sedentary and complacent to continue functioning well. I sat down with Morgan Spurlock, the director of “Supersize Me”, a few years ago to discuss the social issue. After his countercultural movie came out, the Golden Arches dropped their super-sizing habits and offered more nutritious choices, but...well...our country continues to grow. What gives? - besides the elastic in our waistbands, I mean? And can we really blame corporations for our kiddies getting fat? Sure, they need to take some responsibility for contributing to this social issue…but doesn’t the real fault lie with the parents? Poor parents. Everything is always their fault. Always. ALWAYS! Oh! I also handed out free burgers in Times Square to see what would happen. It was fun. Watch the video to see some crazy people eat up some free Mickey D’s. [More] [Less]

Did you know that, in our culture, record labels basically pay radio stations to play their mainstream artists songs (over and over and over and over and SHUTUPWITHTHESTUPIDTIMBERLAKESALREADY!), and that artists who don’t have enough financial support to buy radio plays or “spins” are just not going to be played on air? And did you know that this is highly illegal in our society as airwaves are considered public places that cannot be bought or influenced by corporate interests? So record labels find all these stupid ways around the law by giving radio stations money under other guises instead of handing them a check saying PLAYASHLEESIMPSONSDUMBSONGONCEANHOUR? Well, that’s the deal kiddies. That’s really how it works. And that sucks. And not just because of the illegalness of it. But because music is supposed to be art, man. It’s supposed to offer a voice to the counterculture and other artistic efforts outside of what the man wants us to listen to. Sure, there is a business side to it, that’s cool, but it’s all just business nowadays. Which means people are getting cheated out of hearing lots of different kinds of music that they could hear on air and are being told what is popular on air by companies buying up all the airtime. Which to me means people are being told what to like and what not to, and we all know how much I HATE that. So I hit the streets of NYC to ask people how they feel about the state of the music industry for this alternative news piece. Watch the video to hear what they had to say. Then tell me what YOU think here in this lovely little liberal forum of The Resident… [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]