Thirty Rocks

Our first Caught In The Net of ‘13 is a good moment to celebrate three decades of surfing. As noted by Google vice president Vint Cerf over at [link]www.googleblog.blogspot.ie/2013/01/marking-birth-of-modern-day-internet.html[/link] - January 1 marked the 30th anniversary of what we now know as the World Wide Web. It came into existence when the switchover to TCP/IP (the international standard mode of connection) occurred. From there came Psy, the 4chan oddballs, Rick Astley renaissances and a million lolcat memes.

The internet is, of course, a wonderful communication medium, but it’s also a good way to have some childish fun. Step forward RTÉ newsreader Aengus Mac Grianna, who has gone viral over the past few months for an ever-increasing number of on-air gaffes. You can check out a mash-up of his spectacular flubs at [link]www.youtu.be/e_yrQVGDRpc[/link], which includes the infamous moment during a NASA story when Aengus was suddenly put in mind of the Starship Enterprise and had to restart the entire thing. The latest, and possibly his finest moment to date, sees him slapping on make-up , unaware that the broadcast has gone live. It caught US late night host Jimmy Kimmel’s attention, laugh along with his reaction at [link]www.youtu.be/EIr82nactaI[/link].
Another cringey moment in television journalism next, as Channel 4 News’ Kirhsnan Guru-Murthy interviews director Quentin Tarantino [link]www.youtu.be/GrsJDy8VjZk[/link] about his latest film, Djano Unchained. Tarantino doesn’t take kindly to questions about a possible connection between on-screen and real-world violence, “I’m shutting your butt down!” That Guru-Murthy keeps plugging away and maintains composure makes the lengthy clip all the more interesting.
Not all interviews are full of friction. Conan O’Brien, for instance, has a great time with Jack White over at [link]www.teamcoco.com/serious[/link]. Long-time friends, they engage in long-form conversation for Conan’s Serious Jibber Jabber web series, which borrows much from US public television broadcaster Charlie Rose. Clocking in at over an hour, their tete-a-tete sees White offering to re-upholster O’Brien’s furniture and declaring his love for Crazy Frog, to O’Brien gently mocking the former White Stripes man’s ‘tortured artist’ persona. Other entries in the series see the host talking to the likes of Judd Apatow.
In musical terms, it’s always worth heading to hotpress.com and rummaging through the Free Music Friday archives for gratis goodies and intriguing streams. Two live sets that have caught CITN’s eye and ear recently: an audio stream [link]www.soundcloud.com/djshadow/all-basses-covered-the[/link] of the pioneering, venerated DJ Shadow getting kicked off the decks in a Miami club for essentially being “too future” and playing his own set rather than taking requests, and a video of David Byrne and St. Vincent rocking out at the Strathmore Mansion [link]www.npr.org/event/music/168888064/david-byrne-st-vincent-in-concert[/link]. That just leaves time for A Good Day To Die Hard - you can check the trailers and promos for the next installment in the John McClane film franchise, due Feb 14, at [link]www.youtube.com/user/diehardmovie[/link]. Yippee ki yay, as they say.