Comment

Nigerian Scammer Steals $27 Million from Citibank

Posing as Ethiopian bank officials, a Nigerian and his accomplices stole $27 million from Citibank. Paul Gabriel Amos, 37, a Nigerian citizen who lived in Singapore was arrested when he tried to enter the US last month.

Prosecutors said the scheme began in September, when Citibank received a package with documents purportedly signed by officials of the Ethiopian bank instructing Citibank to accept instructions by fax. There was also a list of officials who could be called to confirm such requests. The signatures of the officials appeared to match those in Citibank’s records and were accepted by Citibank, the complaint says.

In October, Citibank received two dozen faxed requests for money to be wired, and it transferred $27 million to accounts controlled by the conspirators in Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, Cyprus and the United States, the complaint says.

[Via]

Comment

Comment

Why Facebook Can't Monetize

My friend Kaizar has finally figured out why Facebook can't monetize. It's because their ads are fucking insulting. Look at the targeted ads on his profile page:

Comment

4 Comments

Review: Man on Wire

Based on Philippe Petit's account of his stunning high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974 in his book "To Reach the Clouds," director James Marsh revisits that event in "Man on Wire," which won the best documentary category at this year's Academy Award. Using actual footage as well as interpretive reenactments and contemporary interviews with many of the participants, Marsh succeeds in recreating the tense and suspenseful atmosphere experienced by Petit and especially his accomplices as they case and eventually break into the then recently completed World Trade Center. Paradoxically, it is at the point of no return, when Petit confidently steps onto the precarious wire--seemingly counter to human nature--does the film achieve a peaceful quietness that leaves the viewer in awe and wonder. However, throughout the documentary, one also views snippets of the narcissism and obsessive force of Petit’s exuberant personality. While no one was ultimately physically injured, it is clear that there were emotional casualties, especially in the frenzied aftermath of his walk.

Although it is never mentioned, the specter of 9/11 looms large in the background, and one can't help but make comparisons at times between Petit's crew and the terrorist attacks years later, particularly when they describe the various methods including impersonating a reporter to enter and gain access to the towers' rooftop. Yet the sight of this Frenchman casually resting on his back high above the streets and staring up at the clouds above New York City, provides a cathartic counter to the monstrous and horrifying collapse of the World Trade Center.

I highly recommend this movie. And if you don't believe me, it has a 100% rating with 137 review over at Rotten Tomatoes.

Relatedly, this was the New Yorker cover on the 5th anniversary of 9/11:

[Thanks Kate for Netflix'ng this movie and the New Yorker cover connection!]

4 Comments

1 Comment

Rare Ferrari 250 TR Expected to Break Record$ at Auction

A rare Ferrari 250 TR, a model which captured ten victories in nineteen races from 1958 to 1961, will be on the block at the RM Auctions in association with Sotheby's.

RM expects the 250 TR to set a new world record for a car sold at auction, potentially exceeding the rumored $21.7 million it took to buy a 250 GTO $10.89 million dollar sale of a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder last year.

This car is. freaking. beautiful. It's the wifey of cars.

[Via]

1 Comment

1 Comment

Ads for Mac Support Company

These ads "using" mac file folders were created by TBWA for Norwegian mac support company Teknograd. They will protect your computer from attacks by TIE fighters, Space Invaders, and a T-Rex. Each ad required 400 layers in Photoshop according to Martin Holm, the illustrator and art director.

[Via]

1 Comment

1 Comment

Yes It Can! Slumdog Millionaire Wins!

I know it was the front runner, but I'm still surprised to see Slumdog Millionaire walk away from the 2009 Oscars with the Best Picture. Of course, I'm giddy about its win and I'm glad I saw the movie early in its release.

I think my astonishment stems largely from a pessimistic skepticism of Hollywood due to its well documented historically prejudiced attitude towards "ethnic" actors and movies. This is a welcomed step in the right direction for the industry, but there's still lots of room for improvement. If you don't think so, just speak to any aspiring actor of color.

Of course, I think it's a travesty that Wall-E was not included in the Best Picture category.

Speaking of room for improvement:

A sobering response came Monday from Dilbur Parakh, who heads a charity-run school where two of the film’s youngest stars, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, and Rubina Ali Qureshi, 9, are enrolled. The children still live in a sprawling shantytown called Garib Nagar — literally the enclave of the poor. The filmmakers pay for their school fees.

Lastly, A.O. Scott suggests that Slumdog's other wins in "editing, cinematography and score" is more significant.

Its look, its pacing and its sound are not like the competition, and indeed not like a lot of commercial American movies. And yet it is an entirely accessible movie, not so much self-consciously exotic as effortlessly, eagerly eclectic. So the fast editing, the eye-popping colors and textures, the songs and the music may be, to some audiences and Academy voters, a bit unfamiliar, but they obviously work, extending the vocabulary of what we sometimes parochially think of as mainstream moviemaking in some exciting new directions.

Update: This makes me laugh:

Slumdog Dance

1 Comment