Throwback to City High - "What Would You Do?"

Remember this song?

While the song is catchy, samples an infectious Dr. Dre beat, and is, what I consider to be, a classic song - there are deeper meanings to its lyrics.

City High advocates for social awareness.

Fresh Friday, 4/29

Chairs, pea coats, and Amber - oh my!

Obama Releases His Long-Form Birth Certificate, Right-Wing Speechless

The White House:

At a time of great consequence for this country – when we should be debating how we win the future, reduce our deficit, deal with high gas prices, and bring stability to the Middle East, Washington, DC, was once again distracted by a fake issue. The President’s hope is that with this step, we can move on to debating the bigger issues that matter to the American people and the future of the country.

Exactly.

First Amendment Need Not Apply.

Politico:

The catalyst for a renewed fight over pornography is a recent, little-noticed move by Attorney General Eric Holder to shutter the Obscenity Prosecution Task Force, a special Justice Department unit set up during the Bush administration under pressure from conservatives upset about the proliferation of obscene material on the Internet. [...]

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told POLITICO in a statement Friday. “Rather than initiate a single new case since President Obama took office, however, the only development in this area has been the dismantling of the task force. As the toxic waste of obscenity continues to spread and harm everyone it touches, it appears the Obama administration is giving up without a fight.” [...] 

“Re-incorporating the prosecution of obscenity violations into the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, as opposed to having a separate task force, provides for increased collaboration among experienced attorneys and agents, and gives our prosecutors the most solid foundation possible for pursuing their mission,” said [Justice Department spokeswoman Laura] Sweeney. [...] 

While run-of-the-mill hardcore pornography may have been enough to shock a jury in the 1970s, that no longer seems to be the case today. As a result, prosecutors who have pursued such cases in recent years have usually focused on cases involving violent pornography, simulated rape or unusual fetishes.

What's behind this moralizing? A post in the Feministing Community explores this point:

Then, as now, sex work is considered the domain of the working class, the borderline criminal, and the chemically addicted. Most American movies, at least, portray sex workers alongside scenes of great urban poverty or as secondary characters present in the larger criminal underworld. Those who admit to visiting sex workers are assumed by association to part of this shadowy universe of shady characters. But in reality, men of all social classes and moral purity purchase sexual services, and it should also be noted, this exchange is far from exclusively heterosexual in orientation. I’m even certain that women visit male or female sex workers as well, though convention assumes that this is not nearly as commonplace as is with men.

As for the 41 senators complaining about "teh pr0n", a post in Matt Yglesias' blog does it justice:

Obviously, there are legitimate issues connected to the production of pornography, among them child exploitation and sexual abuse and human trafficking. But there’s more than a whiff of moral panic about the letter.

Exactly. There are some legitimate concerns with the sex industry; that being said, none of those 41 senators proposed any fixes for them, only a tried-and-failed proposal of censorship.

Is there any positive aspects to this? Alyssa Rosenbury provides us with a glimmer of hope:

The ACLU’s legal director, Steven Shapiro, held back from handicapping the case when I talked to him, but seemed more optimistic. “There’s a lot of evidence that the agency has taken advantage of that vagueness to apply the standard in ways that are incompatible with our first amendment rules,” he told me, and the Second Circuit’s decision is a persuasive statement of that case. If this momentary kerfuffle over indecency produces more clarity for the FCC and prevents future ratings brouhahas in the future, maybe it’ll all be worth it.

We can hope so.

Nate Silver Explains Why I Don't Care About Haley Barbour.

FiveThirtyEight:

I haven’t spent very much time writing about Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who announced today that he would not be a candidate for president. But the record will show that I noted both directly and indirectly that I thought Mr. Barbour’s chances were overstated. 

Mr. Barbour, despite drawing some support from the establishment, had shown little momentum with rank-and-file Republicans, drawing between zero percent and two percent of the vote in recent surveys. [...]

[W]hile Mr. Barbour’s name recognition was lower than household names like Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin or Donald Trump, it was about the equal to candidates like Tim Pawlenty, and ahead of some like Mitch Daniels and Jon Huntsman. More importantly, of the 40 percent of Republicans who were familiar with Mr. Barbour, just a tiny fraction of them had him as their first choice. [...] 

Nor did Mr. Barbour have an obvious constituency within the party. Religious conservatives had more natural choices (Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum), as did Tea Party conservatives (Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich), Republican establishment voters (Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty), moderates (Mitch Daniels and Jon Huntsman) and marginally attached, low-information voters (Donald Trump and Sarah Palin.) 

There was also the potential for problems with independent voters. Mr. Barbour, as a 63-year-old white Southerner who began his career as a lobbyist and who had some history of making racially insensitive remarks, seemed to conform to every stereotype that swing voters negatively associate with Republicans.

Exactly:  Haley Barbour didn't really have a niche. (With exception to racists, of course.)

Another one bites the dust...

Who cares about the Royal Wedding?

Hopefully, the last day of being sick. I hope to soon be blogging at full capacity. Until then, allow me to share my views on the Royal Wedding.

via Jenny Wong:

Kingfirth: I wrote a poem about how much i care about the royal wedding.

Exactly. Frankly, I just do not give a damn about the Royal Wedding. I classify this wedding in the same vain as celebrity gossip, which I could care less about. It will cost the U.K. over $50 billion in such hard economic times.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: April 24, 2011 - ZOMBIE DAY EDITION

New Haven Register:

Easter will be here soon, and as owners of two house rabbits, we hope families who celebrate the holiday will think twice about buying live bunnies for children. 

There’s an upsurge of rabbit adoptions during this time and if a child becomes bored with the animal after the holiday, the rabbit is usually found dumped on golf courses or roadsides, where they’re vulnerable to bad weather and bigger animals. If lucky, they’re dumped at a shelter. Most shelters are already burdened with “seasonal pets” and abandonment makes the adoption process even harder. 

Don’t perceive rabbits and small animals as brief entertainment. They’re sensitive creatures; treating them like stuffed animals that can be abandoned at will suggests it’s OK to submit them to cruelty, which isn’t a healthy lesson for children. 

Those serious about adopting a rabbit can find the House Rabbit Organization online to learn more about the third most common pet choice today.

Happy Zombie Day to my Christian readers - both of them! 

From 'Friday' to Now, Ark Music Factory Must Be Tone-Deaf

Arc Music Factory, the same label that made Rebecca Black's "Friday" famous, has released a new video:

Oh man. I went to the website, to check it out. I was going to join just to see what it was all about. (I had assumed that, by now, trolls had taken control of the website.) However, not being able to stomach the atrocious website design and the nauseating introductory video, I clicked out of the website.

If this is all an elaborate hoax, as some have suggested, then they're really taking their time to reveal the truth. Some other people on Facebook have questioned whether this is a social psychology experiment. Personally, I believe neither. To me, Ark Music Factory is just a label wanting to capitalize on the relatively untapped market of child pop stars. Which, frankly, isn't a bad idea.

Fresh Friday, 4/22

This Fresh Friday, we're taking a look at some fresh men who wear skirts.

BREAKING - Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) Expected to Resign

Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON -- Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) plans to resign his seat amid an ethics probe, according to breaking reports. 

Several sources confirmed the news to Roll Call, which reported that Ensign would step down Friday. 

Others told The Huffington Post they believe the report is true, but could not confirm it.
Ensign has fallen under investigation by the ethics committee in the wake of an alleged sexual relationship with an aide and accusations that he steered business to her lobbyist husband. 

His departure could clear the way for Nevada's Republican governor to appoint Rep. Dean Heller (R) to the seat, giving the GOP an incumbent in 2012. 

Ensign's spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Frankly, unsurprising. Good riddance, nonetheless. Let's all take a trip down memory lane with the soon-to-be ex-Senator:

Dave Weigel says it best:

John Ensign retiring to spend more time with his famil... oh, wait.

Not much of a loss. 

Hereditary Disabilities, Personal Liberty, and Soceity

I am still feeling under the weather; I should be back to full capacity tomorrow. The Occasional Prattle wrote an excellent piece on deciding to bear children, despite a predisposed hereditary disability:

Is it "right" to conceive a child, knowing that you, in all likelihood, will give him or her a hereditary physical, or even mental, defect? Is it "right" to bring a child into this, let's be honest, cruel world, knowing how much harder his or her life will turn out? 

No one should deny the hardship, the inconvenience, the frustration that those with disabilities have to face in their lives. It is a simple fact that one with a physical or mental defect has to endure immense difficulties to go about his or her daily life. Let's not obfuscate this simple reality for the sake of some high and mighty principle. 

But a hard life does not mean a miserable life. One can lead, and many have led, a meaningful and happy life despite physical and mental defects. Look at Jono from [this] BBC article, for example. He has risen above his physical disability, and found the love of his life. Hardship does not equal misery. Many stare straight into the face of difficulty and see opportunity. 

Back to the question I posed. Is it "right" to bring a child into this cruel world, knowing that you will give him or her a hereditary defect, and all the difficulties that come with it? 

Maybe it is inappropriate, or foolish, to frame this issue in terms of "right" and "wrong"? The situation has both the positive and the negative infused within it. The potential parents must recognise that they will bring their child into a difficult life, and must be absolutely certain that they can help that child through the hardship, that they can become a sustaining force for him or her to endure the cruelty of our world. They must understand, that while some parts of our society strive to create a community that gives equal opportunities to everyone, others resist this progression, making the world we live in a subtly hostile place for people with disabilities. It is their decision, and they should only make it once they understand and acknowledge the consequences, the risks, and the responsibilities that will accompany the choice they make. 

Our job as a society is not to judge, and [moralize], and stir an intensely personal decision into an ideological battle, a controversy with clearly defined "rights" and "wrongs" the same way we treated women's reproductive rights. We need to [realize] that no one understands the life of a person with disabilities better than a person with disabilities. They, equipped with the best information and understanding of their situation, will make the most suitable decisions for themselves.

Exactly.

News Snap - "DON'T CRY"

I'm still sick. Ironically, 박봄 (Park Bom) releases her new track "DON'T CRY" as my ailment causes me to constantly tear up. Go figure.

Awesome song! I was a little underwhelmed by the music video - YG Entertainment has done better - but, it'll grow on me.

Chris Hayes Breaks Tax Policy Down

Woke up feeling pretty sick today. Not sure if I'll be blogging much this week.

Enjoy Chris Hayes' take on the tax code:

Exactly right.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: April 17, 2011

Classic Newt Gingrich:  

I have two grandchildren: Maggie is 11; Robert is 9 [...] I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.

...what? Atheist Muslims?

The Fantasy World of the Libertarian Party

Between the two, main bickering parties neither openly admits that they want a government shutdown. (Even if it is apparent that Republican politicians want one.) However, the third biggest political party has no problem calling for a shutdown. Enter the Libertarian Party of America.

(Source)

Fresh Friday, 4/15

A slightly different format this Fresh Friday: rather than point out items which are aesthetically fresh, I wish to direct you all to a definitively fresh cause: AT-AT for America.

"Love Song" - An Analysis

While the newly released music video for "Love Song" by (BIGBANG) may not require as much analyzing as TONIGHT did, I did notice some interesting aspects. Behold:

First Amendment Remedies

Last night, I attended the American Civil Liberty Union of Connecticut's 2011 Symposium. It featured a debate between the national director of the ACLU, Anthony Romero, and a member of the Beckett Fund.

A part of this event featured the winners of a First Amendment Essay Contest. The topic was as follows:

Under what circumstances, if any, can the Ten Commandments or other sacred texts be taught or brought up for discussion in the classroom?

Even though I did not win the contest, I still had a damn good time at the symposium. My essay is below the jump.

Glenn Beck Calls One-Fifth of American Women "Hookers"; What about Sex Workers' Rights?

Glenn Beck's show thankfully doesn't air in Connecticut, but on Monday, he came out with this bullshit:

Yes, Glenn Beck just asked, "Hookers? Who Depends On Planned Parenthood?" (Ignore the fact that one out of every five American women has visited a Planned Parenthood clinic.) There are a number of things wrong with this 7-minute clip, but I wanted to point out one item that I haven't seen others noting: should sex workers not have healthcare?

Bill Maher's Ingenious Sports Analogy

Real talk from Real Time with Bill Maher:

Classic. (Not that I care about either baseball or football.)

EXCLUSIVE - My Conversation with Popular Conservative Blogger is Telling

Many of you may have heard of the neo-conservative website called "Stop The ACLU". Its main focus seems to be against the American Civil Liberties Union, for one reason or another. Their writer base is varied and their most popular contributer, by far, is Warner Todd Hudson. (The same teabagger who proposed that Islam be criminalized.) However, I managed to engage another popular contributor from that website, John Stephenson, on Twitter. Our conversation is hardly enlightening, but it really demonstrates the lack of logic when it comes to the claim of "communism" when it comes to progressives.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: April 10, 2011

Real talk:

by WellingtonGrey.net

Have a productive Sunday, everyone!

Rant: Skype's Annoying Emoticon

Type in the following on Facebook:

:-D or :D

Unlike in other situations, Facebook gets this one right:

That's right - it's a grin. It's different than a simple smiley face and it's different from a laughing face. It's a happy medium, if you will. Now, what happens when you enter that on Skype?

Fresh Friday, 4/8

I'll be the first to admit that I have a bias toward attractive men in fresh suits.

If There's a Government Shut Down, Blame The Republicans.

ThinkProgress:

The White House made yet another effort to broker a deal to prevent a government shutdown last night, with President Obama saying that a shutdown would be “inexcusable.” Even though Democrats have agreed to the initial House Republican position of roughly $30 billion in cuts from 2010′s funding level, House Republicans are still holding out for deeper spending cuts and various policy riders demanded by the Tea Party, such as cuts to funding for Planned Parenthood. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said today that “the two sides have essentially agreed on the amount of money set to be cut from the long-term budget but that Republicans have drawn a line in the sand over ‘ideology.’” As Steve Benen noted, “what we’re talking about here is Republicans shutting down the government over access to contraception and family planning services.”

Long story short, the Republicans used all of their power to reject a reasonable budget proposal, while claiming that the Democrats are unwilling to compromise. Democrats, naturally, have compromised considerably, but to no avail. And, if the new budget isn't passed, the government shuts down.

Of course, compromising on Planned Parenthood funding is not only an immoral choice that would outrage the Democratic base to no end, it would also make us lose money:

A study released last week by the highly respected Guttmacher Institute shows a federally funded family planning program is highly cost-effective and prevents nearly 2 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions in the United States each year. [...] 

Based on 2006 statistics, the national family planning program known as Title X (10) prevented 1.94 million pregnancies in the United States, including 400,000 teen pregnancies. According to the study, the 1.94 million pregnancies that were prevented would have resulted in 860,000 unintended births and 810,000 abortions. In Tennessee, Title X programs prevented 19,300 unintended pregnancies that would have resulted in an estimated 8,600 unintended births and 8,100 abortions. [...] 

A 2010 University of Iowa study found for every $1 invested in family-planning services, the government saves more than $3 in public funding, which might be spent on welfare assistance, medical assistance, and vaccines for children.

It is interesting that the Republicans have no qualms about both spending more money and increasing abortion rates.

A Very "Special Edition"

Today in Korea, 빅뱅 (BIGBANG) released their new and first "Special Edition" album. It is essentially the same as the 4th Mini-Album, but without the introductory track ("THANK YOU & YOU") and the Korean version of "Hands Up". There are only three new songs, but that is not to say that the tracklist is not still respectable. In fact, it is very respectable. Take a look:

1. 러브송 ("Love Song")
2. 스투피드 라이어 ("Stupid Liar")
3. TONIGHT
4. HIGH HIGH
5. OH YEAH (Featuring 박봄)
6. CAFE
7. I Need a Girl (Featuring G-Dragon)
8. Somebody to Love
9. 어쩌라고 ("What Can I Do")
10. BABY DON'T CRY

The dark green songs are from their 4th Mini-Album, the purple songs are from the GD&TOP album, the song in red is from SOLAR by 태양 (Taeyang), and the light blue song is from the 1st Mini-Album by 승리 (SeungRi). The songs in light green are new - the first two featuring the entire band, the last one being the new solo song of 대성 (Daesung).

(Source)

What do I listen to?

I love music.

I have 5,437 songs, 29 gigabytes, and nearly 14 days comprise my iTunes Music Library. My last.fm page says that, statistically, I listen to 100 songs every day. On top of that, I really listen to everything - smooth jazz to underground hiphop, Asian music to dubstep, classic country to instrumental movie soundtracks. I have never met a person who has not enjoyed at least one song that I own.

(Source)

I grew up listening to the classics - The Beatles, The Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, and such. However, I never really started listening to music until 2003. Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe", Fountains of Wayne's "Stacey's Mom", Craig David's "Fill Me In", and Eminem's "Without Me" are ingrained in my memories.

A little while later, a forté into Japanese anime really sparked an initial interest in foreign music. L'Arc~En~Ciel's "Ready, Steady, GO!" from Full Metal Alchemist, T.M.Revolution's "INVOKE" from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, BoA's "Every Heart" from InuYasha, and Origa's "Inner Universe" from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.


Directly following this was, in my view, a fairly good time for popular music. Alternative hits such as Staind's "Right Here Waiting" and Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", contrasted nicely with more poppy songs such as Cassie's "Me & U" and Danity Kane's "Show Stopper". Rap (not pop-hop) was still a viable contender, with tracks such as Daddy Yankee's "Rompe (G-Unit Remix)" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger" making high ranks. Even more obscure songs, such as Lady Sovereign's "Love Me or Hate Me" and Weird Al Yankovic's "White & Nerdy" managing to chart.

All-American Hypocrisy - Drinking Age Edition

It's no secret that I believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18. I think that it is high time that our nation align itself with virtually every other country on Earth. I think that there should be a new national debate on this topic.

A national debate, of course, rooted in an honest discussion of the issue. That's where the so-called "All American Blogger" fits into the picture.

In a post about lowering the drinking age, self-proclaimed All-American Blogger seems to be leaving something out (emphasis mine):

By the way, do you know why the drinking age is set at 21? Flat out coercion by the federal government:  

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 (23 U.S.C.§ 158), also called the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act, was passed on July 17, 1984 by the United States Congress as a mechanism whereby all states would become thereafter required to legislate and enforce the age of 21 years as a minimum age for purchasing and publicly possessing alcoholic beverages.

Representative Al Adinolfi (R-CT) is a disgrace.

My dislike for Connecticut state representative Alfred "Al" Adinolfi has never been a secret. I even called out this state legislator in the oldest still-running newspaper in America. To put it lightly, I think he's a big conservative politician with an even bigger mouth.

I expected him to oppose any progressive legislation. I might not have even called him out for it; it just would not have been a huge issue. A Republican voting like a Republican? Not very interesting. The same would have held true on HB 6599: An Act Concerning Discrimination - a relatively moderate act which, if enacted, would add gender expression and identity to the state's anti-discrimination laws. (I previously endorsed said legislation here.)

Rep. Al Adinolfi, 2011.  (Source)

But, this shit from Rep. Adinolfi just crossed the line:

Overheard: "I think this bill is discriminating against my children and grandchildren. I don't want them exposed to that." Rep. Al Adinolfi

To add insult to injury, the following was posted on his website:

Rep. Adinolfi Opposed to “Bathroom Bill”

The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee recently postponed a controversial vote on the so-called “bathroom bill” which would allow transgender adults to use public bathroom and locker room facilities.

“If abused, this law could cause disruption or even assaults within a public rest room or public locker room,” Rep. Adinolfi said.

Wow.

Response: Free Speech,Bullying,and More

An anonymous poster left a long comment on my post concerning how dangerous the proposed anti-bullying law in Connecticut is to the free speech rights of children. I felt as if it touched on more than a few commonly misconstrued points, and that it required refuting. Here we go:

The idea that parents always know best for their children can be harmful to some kids. The parents that fail to teach their kids that bullying is wrong is making everyone at school pay the price. What about the bullied kids at school? What about their free speech rights to do, say and be who they are? They are being silenced, shamed and bullied - because they are different - and their rights are being violated too. I personally am not a proponent of letting parents have all the say over their kids because I've seen too many cases where certain parental upbringing methods (or lack thereof) causes grievous harm to their own kids and others. For example, there was this religious household in Oregon where the parents did not believe in medication. They believed that prayer alone can cure illnesses and any use of medication shows a lack of faith. Well, their child died of insulin shock after years of suffering the debilitating effects of childhood diabetes. They killed their child because of their stupid beliefs and it was frustrating that the state couldn't do anything about it! The state should step in if a student's safety and well being is severely threatened or endangered. You would want them to if your parents were whacked like those two parents in Oregon. Peace.

Oy. Let's break this down.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: April 3, 2011

I found this amazing website called The Scripture Project a while ago.

Essentially, it annotates the Christian Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Islamic Qur'an and points out various questionable aspects of each of them. It's fairly complete and it runs, mostly, off of wiki-technology. Specifically, it is separted into the following sections:

Absurdity Injustice Cruelty and Violence Intolerance Contradiction Interpretation Science and History Plagiarism
Family ValuesWomen Good Prophecy Sex Language Homosexuality

It's always good for a read. The site is run by Project Reason, "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society." Kudos to it.

Improv Everywhere Actor Assaulted on Subway

Improv Everywhere is a group of improvisational actors who roam New York City to set up harmless and humorous events. The size, scale, and magnitude of some of these are incredible; they have organized huge groups of people to ride public transportation pantsless, to sing musical numbers in a random grocery store, to wear suits-and-ties to the beach, and more. One of their more popular stunts was to dress up in Star Wars uniforms, board the subway, and see peoples' reactions. Recently, however, one of them went very wrong:

Fresh Friday, 4/1

Yep, it's Friday. It may be April Fool's Day, but that doesn't mean that you have to look like a fool. Freshness under the cut.