rock band the Mae Shi (pictured), inspired by a July 2008 outburst by
actor Christian Bale on the set of Terminator Salvation. Bale was
filming with actress Bryce Dallas Howard when he berated the director of
photography, Shane Hurlbut, for walking into his line of sight. After an
audio recording of the incident appeared on the website TMZ, the Mae Shi
recorded their song, releasing it on YouTube and via download on
MediaFire the next day, February 3, 2009. The song samples Bale's voice,
repeating the word "professional" in the chorus. The lyrics reference
several films the actor starred in, including Newsies, Swing Kids,
American Psycho, and The Dark Knight. "R U Professional" attracted a
generally positive reception by reviewers, and was praised as an
effective parody. MTV compared its style to that of new wave groups like
Devo, and the Los Angeles Times described it as a lively pop music
tribute to the actor. El País noted that the song contributed to the
viral spread of Bale's outburst online.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_U_Professional>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1637:
The contract prices of rare tulip bulbs in the Dutch Republic,
which had been steadily climbing for three months, abruptly dropped,
marking the decline of tulip mania.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania>
1807:
Napoleonic Wars: The United Kingdom captured Montevideo, now
the capital of Uruguay, from the Spanish Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montevideo>
1913:
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was
ratified, allowing the US Congress to levy an income tax without
apportioning it among the states or basing it on census results.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution>
1967:
Ronald Ryan became the last person to be legally executed in
Australia, sparking public protests across the country.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Ryan>
1989:
Alfredo Stroessner, whose rule as President of Paraguay for 35
years was marked by uninterrupted repression in his country, was
overthrown in a military coup by Andrés Rodríguez.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Stroessner>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
twee:
(Britain, pejorative) Overly quaint, dainty, cute or nice.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/twee>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy,
monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is
always new, marvelous, intoxicating.
--Simone Weil
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil>
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