How the World Works

Barack O'Bollywood

We all know that any half-wit with access to a computer and multimedia-editing software can slice and dice news footage, dub in some beats, upload the resulting clip to YouTube and become an instant star. But editing a speech by Rudy Giuliani so he sounds like he's in favor of pornography is no big thing -- more like the definition of the word "sophomoric."

Most of the CamPain2008 videos posted by Michael Stevens to his YouTube home page fit that category. Funny only if you're stoned or so resolutely partisan that any mockery instantly becomes high art.

But then there's Barack O'Bollywood, which mashes Obama up with Bollywood dancing and singing. As the caption goes, it's "East meets West on acid." It is remarkable, and somehow utterly brilliant, even if it's impossible to say whether it means anything, politically speaking. (Thanks to Ultrabrown for the tip.)

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A lesson in White House economic Kremlinology
Simon Johnson reads the entrails and says Larry Summers is moving away from Geithner's pro-bank stance
America gets laid off, Goldman Sachs employees get a raise
The June jobs report is a serious bummer, but "the good times continue to roll" on Wall Street
Even Amish values aren't recession-proof
Fancy horses, luxury carriages -- it all goes to heck when the economy implodes

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