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As a part of their Fiesta Movement we’re partnering with Ford to have Max and Jason bring you the Fiesta Movement Celebration on December 2nd at 11:30/10:30c on Current TV. Before we dive into the details, here’s some background information to give you a little context.

To kickoff the Fiesta Movement, Ford challenged bloggers, technologists, and any other social media enthusiasts to spend six months participating in a campaign called the Fiesta Movement. They received over 4,000 applicants, but only 100 were chosen to be “Agents of the Fiesta Movement.” These agents spent the next six months behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta while traveling around the country completing 600 monthly themed missions ranging from Travel, Adventure, Social Activism, Technology, Style & Design, and Entertainment.

Each of these missions were documented using social media sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, 12seconds, and just about any other social media site out there. If your interested check out some of the missions, or if you’re interested in what some of the agents are doing as their six month stint winds down take a look at the #fiestamovement hashtag on Twitter.

So, what are Max and Jason up to?

Here’s the full rundown of what you can expect. On 12/1, the guys will be filming live at the Ford Fiesta Movement Celebration at the Palladium in LA between 11pm-2am E / 8pm-11pm P. They’ll be spending the evening soaking up the event, and using Current cameras to get the unique perspective of the Fiesta Agents in attendance. Portions of their coverage will be streamed on the Max and Jason: Still Up page on Current.com, and live updates will also air on Current TV throughout the night.

Then on 12/2 Max and Jason will return to the Current airwaves to host the Fiesta Movement Celebration at 11:30/10:30c.

Today is International Men’s Day! A day for men to rejoice in their man-ness; to chest bump, beer drink, and barbecue to their heart’s content. Apparently the IMD website has other ideas about what International Men’s Day should be about, BUT they do have informative links about the “Development of Manhood” (don’t tell me you didn’t giggle when you saw that. You did.)

Really though, men are super awesome, and so handy! I would probably have eaten only a third of the pickles in my lifetime if it hadn’t been for some of the men in my life. (Sidenote: is it really necessary to vacuum seal those jars to the point of nearly cracking in on themselves from the pressure?)

However, if you don’t think helping ladies who lack in upper body strength is what being a man is all about, there is… Movember! Ah, the month of mustache and a socially acceptable excuse to look uber creepy/sleazy for an entire month. And hey, you’re raising money for prostate cancer, so if anyone gives you flack about your ‘mo you get to make them look like a total jerk.

And since we’re on the subject of awesomely hairy men, I leave you with this wonderful Rotten Tomatoes Show ditty, Ode to Chest Hair.

-Danielle

Astronomy nerds rejoice! 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy (yes, I’m kind of late on this one, but pjacobs51 was all over this, and in a timely manner, thanks for posting that video! and JanforGore linked to some phenomenal pictures too) commemorating “the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies” along with a few other neat events.

Not doing a fist pump for this fun fact? Well, on the 17th the Leonid Meteor Shower should be a fun treat for those with clear skies (sorry Northwest, better luck never) and the word “doozie” was thrown around to describe this year’s shooting star display. That’s right, doozie. For those living in the US, the peak of the shower is expected to be at roughly 12:30 AM PST. And on November 17th at 12:30 AM I will be on my street corner in a bathrobe, popcorn in hand, staring up at the sky. (Don’t worry, I live in San Francisco, I’ll blend right it.)

Still being a hard to please grouch and don’t think the meteor shower is cool either? Well, there are plans to open a space hotel by 2012, guests would pay $4.4 million for a 3 night stay, no big deal. I could make some snarky comment about this, but really, as outrageous as this idea is, I think we can all agree it would be pretty awesome.

And hey, if you’re still not excited about all this cool astronomy stuff, at the very least you could use IYA as an excuse to drink- “Oh, why am I having this delicious beer at 2pm? I’m just celebrating International Year of Astronomy.” See? Totally legit. You just went from the person drinking during the day to the person drinking during the day with fun facts.

-Danielle

Maj. Nidal Malik is awake and talking. Sen. Joe Lieberman vows to investigate the events leading up Fort Hood, specifically seeking any evidence that the Army missed cues that Malik was showing signs of becoming an Islamic radical. Had said signs existed, then this could have led to Malik’s discharge, ergo preventing last week’s horrible events from ever transpiring.

Lieberman’s approach is sure to raise eyebrows, especially in light of some of the testimonies from those living in Fort Hood. JonRaymond pointed us to a story on MSNBC in which a woman shares her relationship with Malik under the protection of anonymity:

“Everyone else just sat down there and drunk their beer and looked at him and giggled at him,” the woman said, starting to cry. “They just would laugh at him when he walked down with his Muslim clothes. . . . He was mistreated. He didn’t have nobody. He was all alone. He went to his apartment there and was all alone.”

This is where things get sticky. Was the Fort Hood shooting the result of an Islamic radical enacting a master plan, or was it backlash against religious persecution within in a small concentrated environment? It would seem that Lieberman is suggesting the former, but if it turns out that the latter is actually the case this poses complications when considering the very reasons for founding the United States of America back in 1776.

This is where we’re at on Monday, and the Developing Stories approach to our coverage on Current.com is the vehicle which brought us here. Our community has acted as the driver, by pitching and scooping stories as they develop. If you’re interested, read details about participating in the Developing Stories process on the Current.com blog.

It will be interesting to see where this story will take us next.

There’s something about winter that makes it so tempting to spend a day inside, curled up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. So it’s a good thing that today is National Book Lovers Day–it’s the perfect excuse! Of course, if you’re not sure what to read Current is here to help.

Head on over to Booked for the latest literary news and check out what others on Current are talking about.

Ever wondered what to do with a book instead of reading it? Here are some tips! (I think this could be really useful for outdated reference books–I’m pretty sure I have a dictionary from 1995 sitting around somewhere–or old textbooks. Unless there’s a bustling market for outdated organic chemistry textbooks I don’t know about…)

If that’s not your thing, why not get some ideas about what to read next. How about a look at the story behind the upcoming movie, “Men Who Stare at Goats”? Or  a Hedge Fund manager’s look at the collapse of Wall Street? Maybe business is your thing–why not peruse a list of 101 business books. For a tasty look, why not flip through a cookbook chronicling a  year in cakes. (That one’s totally going on my reading list. Cake! Books! NPR! What’s not to love?)

And if none of that speaks to you–you can always pretend to be a literary elite. Max and Jason tell you how in Books by the Foot:

So whether you’re reading, or just impressing your guests will a wall of unread classics, enjoy National Book Day! And tell us what you’re reading.

Steph

It should come as no surprise that as someone whose job is to trawl Current.com, I’ve come across some pretty weird, icky and just plain odd stuff on the site. Luckily, my cringing, eep-ing and outbursts of profanity as a result of this seems to amuse those who work near me.

Today was no exception. I came across “Germany’s bald bears: Fur disease afflicts Dolores and baffles vets” that Trypnotik posted, and promptly choked on my coffee. I seriously thought it was a picture from some new movie with a horrible, scary killer animal thing. Upon closer inspection I learned that it was a bear that had lost all it’s hair. The nice, compassionate reaction would have been something like, “Oh, that’s terrible. Poor bear.” Mine was “Ah! Groooooss!” Not wanting to be the only one freaked out, I made the rest of the Online Community Team look at too. That does NOT look like a bear. It’s all leathery, wrinkled skin, horn-like ears, bulgey eyes and ginormous claws. I’m sorry bear, that really sucks, but EW.

This got us talking about what other animals would look really odd without hair. Naturally, we Googled it. Whoa man, let it be known that it’s not big, round eyes or floppy ears or little tails that make animals cute, it’s fur. Trust.

So for your twisted curiosity I’ve included some pictures of normally-hairy-hairless-animals. You’re welcome…and I’m sorry.

Ashes the Hairless Chimp

Hairless Rabbits

Xoloitzcuintle

Ok, fine, this one is featherless:

Featherless Chickens

-Danielle

Recently popularized in America by the big screen adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, the opening sequence of this poem originated as part of an annual religious sermon to English royal subjects as a reminder of The Gunpowder Plot, and that treason would never be tolerated.

The sermon, originally entitled ‘Please to Remember the 5th of November’ is commonly read as:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of* no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent

To blow up the King and Parli’ment.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England’s overthrow;

By God’s providence he was catch’d (or by God’s mercy*)

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. (Holla*)

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

The story goes that in the spring of 1604, Thomas Percy, resentful of England’s position towards Catholicism, plotted with a league of conspirators to detonate kegs of Gunpowder underneath the House of Lords for the purpose of killing King James and other prominent members of the Church of England, which would ultimately incite a revolt culminating in Catholic reformation across England.  Historical revue maintains that while the gunpowder had actually degraded to a state of uselessness, the full force of the blast would have been devastating:  complete demolition of the house of lords and residual impact to neighboring structures within a 1 km radius.

As the man chiefly responsible for ensuring the positioning and detonation of the powder kegs, Guy Fawkes has received considerable notoriety for his role in this event.  Specifically, the evening of November 5th is commonly referred to as “Guy Fawkes Night” and his image burned in effigy during bonfires while children ask for a ‘penny for the guy’.  These proceeds are used to purchase fireworks and candy.  Just as the Sun once never set on the English empire, this event is remembered among many of England’s most prominent colonies including New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa.

As mentioned earlier, Alan Moore used this event and Guy Fawkes as a plot device in his 10-issue comic book run V for Vendetta.  However, Mr. Moore reconsiders the significance of this event with startling insight.  Instead of using the Gunpowder plot as a means of inspiring loyalty to governance, Mr. Moore suggests government should always be mindful of the power of its citizens when united in common cause.

Hello Current blog readers!  By now most of you are getting used to the new release and the updates to the Current.com submission tool.  There’s a lot of new ways to do things (check Mario’s blog post for a really good overview of the new goods), so today I’m gonna give a quick rundown of what I have hastily named ‘multi-clipping’ (if you have a better name for it please email me at bdorries@current.com).

What is multi-clipping?

Multi-clipping occurs when you to add multiple sources to the description field of your story. Instead of only getting to choose media from one source, you now get to browse all the media from each available source.  All you have to do is copy/paste the URL of your sources (as many as you want) into the bottom of your description text and the submission tool will do the rest.

Why so many sources?

Submitting multiple sources has two (that we’ve discovered so far) really beneficial and distinct applications.

1. Keep us updated. Let’s say a story breaks at 10:00 AM about jellyfish capsizing a Japanese fishing boat. It’s a really awesome story, it gets featured on the homepage and lots of people are commenting on it.  Two hours later at 12:00 PM another source reports that it wasn’t a Jellyfish at all but a Giant Squid – this is when you need to multi-clip.  Instead of going through all the trouble of changing the source article and finding an appropriate image, simply post the URL of the updated story in the description field.  After that just add some text updating your readers about the break in the story – and boom goes the dynamite – we’re up to date.
2. Let us know what you’re thinking (my favorite). Just like before, a jellyfish has capsized a Japanese fishing boat.  This reminds you of an article you read a couple years ago about a killer jellyfish population explosion as well as an article that gave some insight into possible causes and effects of the jellyfish population explosion. It’s time for multi-clipping.  Copy/paste the sources, choose your media and let us know what you’re thinking!

Those are just two possible applications for multi-clipping, if you find any more please let me know about them.  And as always please let us know how it’s going on our Get Satisfaction page.  We’ll have plenty more tips and tricks about the submission tool and other updates coming up in days to come – so check back often!

Thanks,

-Ben

bdorries@current.com

P.S. Here’s a great example of multi-clipping from Current online-producer Andrew Fitzgerald :

http://current.com/items/91327125_honduras-reaches-deal-zelaya-returning-to-power.htm

Last week I laid out details about our editorial team and guidelines when it comes to finding and featuring content on Current.com. Today we’re launching a brand new community-based experiment built on top of our editorial practices which, for lack of a better name, I’m calling “Developing Stories.”

What is a Developing Story?

This doesn’t always hold true, but quite frequently we notice that stories we feature on Current.com actually speak to a larger, ongoing story in play. Sometimes these stories are stretched out over longer periods of time (e.g. the ongoing discussions around public options in healthcare reform, or the debates surrounding gay marriage), and other times these stories are developing rapidly over the course of hours (e.g. Elections 2009, Afghan presidential elections, or Michael Jackson’s death).

Starting today, we’ll begin identifying certain featured stories that we think have the opportunity to be “developed” further. These stories will be added to our Developing Stories group, and we’ll clearly mark it as such on both the story page and whichever image is picked to accompany the story.

What does it mean to have a story picked as a Developing Story?

This is the cool part. Getting your story featured as a Developing Story is like having the stage handed over to you. We’re looking to take a closer look at the underpinnings of these stories, and we’re giving you the opportunity to take on the role of online investigative journalist in the process. As long as things continue to progress in a relevant way, your story will remain featured on Current.com.

(more…)

Stop hoarding daylight, it’s time to live in the darkness

Hey everyone!  It’s that time again; time for me to go to sleep one night and hope to god my cellphone knows what exactly fall back/spring forward means in the morning.  I always get confused whether or not I get an extra hour of sleep (drinking) or one less (cursing the sky).  Luckily for me cellphone alarm clocks are the most advanced clocks in the world as they are programmed to adjust for DST automatically.

As you should be able to guess, daylight savings time is coming for us yet again; it is predicted that it will occur this Sunday around 2 AM – consider yourself warned.

The history of daylight savings day :

Daylight savings time has existed in some form or another for over 2000 years.  The modern format of an hour just disappearing in the middle of the night (and me showing to work an hour early wondering if a disaster has claimed the lives of all my coworkers) has only been around for a little over 100 years.  There are many reasons why daylight savings time may have started – one such story describes an annoyed William Willet observing his fellow Londoners sleeping the day away.  I too observe too many of my cohorts sleeping the day away; alas, in order to correct their slumber the daylight hours would have to be adjusted about 5-7 hours forward.

Why daylight savings is good :

Generally speaking – during the Spring and Summer months daylight savings increases productivity as well as enables people to be more active and lead healthier lives.  Unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii.  If you are living in Hawaii you live on ‘island time ‘ and probably don’t even know what season it is let alone if it is 5 o’clock or 6 o’clock in the morning.  Arizona however is another story.  Arizona boasts one of the only people alive since before time existed as it’s Senator – and thus has been slow to accept the relatively modern idea of switching their clocks for no good reason. To this day I don’t know if there is any way to tell exactly what time it is in Arizona.

Why daylight savings time is bad:

When daylight savings time was first put into effect I can only imagine that all hell broke loose.  That being said, we’ve all come to terms with the idea since then. I have no counter argument for daylight savings time, other than the fact that simps like me have a really hard time wrapping their mind around the concept and always get confused exactly what ‘falling back’ or ’springing forward’ means (so do I go forward in time? Or does time go forward and I stay in the same place? It gets really meta and existential if i think about it too long).  Perhaps one solution for the problem of the intangible essence of time shifting is to just sound some sort of really loud alarm clock at 7 AM combined with over-saturation of the media warning us that the sun will be rising a little bit later than usual (I’m trying to do my part right now).

Say good-bye to the tans you worked oh so hard to get over the Summer, box up all your sunglasses and shed a single tear, for this Sunday we say goodbye to the Sun.  I pray to Zeus that it comes back next Spring and is bigger and better than ever (besides the fact that we could benefit from it being a little cooler than it has been as of late).

-Ben