"Privilege and the State"

It's pretty rare that I quote entire articles However, E.D. Kain hits the nail on the head:

This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say for some time now. Yglesias notes that the state is often used as a tool for the rich and powerful and entrenched at the expense of the poor and disenfranchised but that it still can be used to achieve good ends. This is what I was driving at with beer deregulation, or limiting the state’s power to coerce, surveil, etc. while still using government to enforce important safety regulations. Here’s Matt:

A colleague mentioned to me the other day that I’m “pretty conservative” on some state and local government issues, with reference to some recent posts on occupational licensing. Someone on twitter asked if I’m trying to score a date with a Cato staffer. I’m not. And I’m not. And I think that whole framing represents a bad way of understanding the whole situation.

Did 대성 (Daesung) of 빅뱅 (BIGBANG) kill someone? - Huge Post, with Updates

UPDATE 17: Click here to read the latest news on this issue!

This was a shock, to say the least:

Big Bang’s Daesung was involved in a car accident and is currently under investigation. 

On the 31st, at around 1:40am in Seoul, BIGBANG’s Daesung was driving in an Audi and hit a motorcyclist in front of him. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Daesung is currently under investigation at the Youngdong Police station for possible drunk driving.
Stay tuned to allkpop for more on this breaking news story.

While it may seem pretty bad, it's important to remember that not all of the details have been released thus far. Jumping to conclusions is the best way to slander someone who may be innocent.

From the report, it sounds as if the Audi Daesung was driving definitely hit the motorcyclist. However, this still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Was the collision the fault of Daesung? Had Daesung, in fact, been drinking? What had the motorcyclist been doing? Is the individual that Daesung hit actually dead? (Early reports can often be wrong.)

Despite being a famous celebrity, Daesung should still be entitled to the same rights as anyone else. The investigation should be performed in a fair, accurate way. If there is need for a trial, then it should be a just jury and the prosecution should view Daesung as a citizen, not an idol.

"Life is short. Have an affair."

Its motto is, "'Life is short. Have an affair." Ashley Madison is a dating and social networking website geared towards individuals already within relationships. Jill Brooke, over at the Huffington Post, had an amazing interview with Noel Biderman, the CEO of Ashley Madison. While I may have posted this link quite a while ago, I believe that it deserves reposting.

Lotte Duty Free Releases All-Star Commercial Music Video

The company Lotte Duty Free has just released this awesome advertisement featuring some of the biggest names in Korean entertainment:

Pretty cool, right?

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: May 29, 2011

A good friend of mine runs OutOfInspiration.com, a site that aims to provide inspiration to anyone who views it. I respect him and I enjoy the aim of his website, however, his commentary on the following video was just plain wrong:

Is God Real? 

The above video is inspirational on several accounts. First off, and perhaps most importantly, it displays the importance of challenging common beliefs. Failing to question what is being preached can have detrimental effects. A blunt example of the above statement is of course the Holocaust…everyone failed to question what they were being told, and consequently, the worst human genocide in history was the outcome.

He is right that it is important to challenge common beliefs, and it is awful to not question them, the Holocaust being a prime example. The video itself just seems like Albert Einstein's rebuttal to a lame argument from some lame professor. More power to Albert.

A Replay of Replay?

Some people have argued that my Korean music tastes are too heavily influenced by YG Entertainment. (And, let's be real - there's nothing at all wrong with that. They are, by far, the best mainstream Korean music corporation. But, I digress.) While I am definitely biased, I definitely listen to other Korean musicians. Today, let me focus on a Japanese remake of one of my favorite Korean songs.

In early 2008, boy group 샤이니 (SHINee) released "누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)". Nearly 4 years later, SHINee is releasing the same song, but in Japanese. Allow me to present "Replay -君は僕のeverything-". Enjoy!

Fresh Friday, 5/27

F-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-reshness!

Taiwanese rap reveals truth about oil prices.

I love NMA.

Ed Schultz, "slut" is not an appropriate term

Do you have those friends who you agree with on political issues, but when they start talking about those issues, you cannot stand to listen? Ed Schultz is like that to me.

There are things I respect about Ed Schultz. He's one of the most popular progressive talk show hosts with an unwavering support for the middle class. He gave Cenk Uygur a well-deserved platform. Frankly put, I agree with Ed on most issues. However, he has his moments that just make me so disappointed to be associated with him. This is one of them.

Transcript (emphasis mine):

And what do the Republicans thinking about? They're not thinking about their next-door neighbor. They're just thinking about how much this is going to cost. President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Mo., on Sunday but you know what they're talking about, like this right-wing slut, what's her name?, Laura Ingraham? Yeah, she's a talk slut. You see, she was, back in the day, praising President Reagan when he was drinking a beer overseas. But now that Obama's doing it, they're working him over.

What the hell, Ed?

Fox News - Proudly Homophobic.

It's no big surprise that Fox News hates the LGBTQ community, but it is still always a bit jarring to see it blatantly propagating homophobic propaganda. In a recent piece "Why the Same-Sex Marriage Experiment Will Not Work", Jim Daly, the new president of Focus on the Family, explains why he opposes the legalization of same-sex civil marriage. The entire article is here, but I'm just going to cut through the fluff and go straight to the heart of the article.

It’s in part from this context that I’ve been following the ongoing marriage debate in the New York state legislature. Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared the legalization of same-sex marriage his number one priority. Supporters are waging a clever, celebrity-driven and well-funded campaign, suggesting that all they want is “marriage equality.” In fact, what they want to do is redefine this multi-millennial institution.

Jim leaves out the crucial fact that both the majority of New Yorkers and the majority of US citizens support legalizing same-sex civil marriage. This aside, take a look at how the writer attempts to scare the readers; advocates of same-sex civil marriage want to REDEFINE marriage. Of course, he doesn't really say why this would be a bad thing or how this would negatively impact, well, anyone.

CEO of Concerned Women For America lies about abortion polling

Conservative News Service:

Penny Nance, chief executive officer of Concerned Women for America, said today that a new Gallup poll showing that 61 percent of Americans believe abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances is an indication of the pro-life trend in American society. 

“The latest Gallup poll is only the latest in a clear pro-life public opinion trend,” said Nance.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Oh, she's not joking?

CNN gets it right.

CNN has been having trouble recently. With their awful ratings, awful shows, and awful hosts, the network has been losing steam for the last few years. Their website is a complete joke and might as well just be a wire service.

However, in an article titled 50 reasons why Seoul is the world's greatest city, CNN gets it right:

#30. G-Dragon

Since debuting in 2006, the audacious leader of Big Bang has thrilled Seoul fashionistas with fierce fashion -- Alexander McQueen silk skull scarves, wedge loafers, skirts! Best fashion moment: head-to-toe vintage Chanel -- complete with a retro headband -- and Kanye West Louis Vuitton neon high tops for the group's concert Big Show 2008.

Exactly right.

Actual quote from CNN: "G-Dragon really needs to start his own fashion line."

Beyoncé is wrong - "Girls" don't "Run the World"

This video sums up my feelings perfectly:

Exactly right.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: May 22, 2011 - Rapture Edition

Considering that no where is May 21, 2011 anymore, it looks as if the rapture was a bit of a bust.

What a surprise. Just take a look at the guy who predicted this all - Harold Camping. He also predicted that the rapture would come in 1994.

While there are some scientific predictions on when the world will end, the vast majority of people who think that "god" will end the Earth are total loons.

Allow me to rank these individuals on a scale of most rational to least rational:

1. MOST RATIONAL: "I have read a sufficient number of scientific reports and based on the logical reasoning of some of the world's most intelligent thinkers, I have come to a rational conclusion based on the evidence provided."
2. QUITE RATIONAL: "I have no idea when the world will end, so I will refuse to speculate."
3. APATHETIC: "Don't know, don't care."
4. IRRATIONAL: "I have read a book that says that the benevolent god I believe in will show his kindness, love, and care for his followers by killing them all before killing everyone else."
5. LEAST RATIONAL: "The world will end on (insert date)."
6. UNREASONABLE AND IRRATIONAL: "I have used an ancient religious text to decode an implicit mathematical formula sent by god to calculate when the world will end."

Classic cartoons teach feminism.

I have a busy weekend, so luckily I came across a wonderful article at the Feministing Community. While I enjoy the FC, I sometimes find myself at odds with many of the amateur voices on the website, as opposed to those with more experience. (Not an insult towards feminists, young activists, or Feministing writers.) Regardless, I found this great piece a few days ago, entitled, "2D Feminism". Jessica "Jess" Victoria Carillo names off 10 (or so) cartoons which she analyzes to be particularly feminist. For the most part, she makes awesome points.

While I have not blogged on this topic too much, I am a huge fan of cartoons. Anywhere from golden oldie cartoons to classic cartoons to anime - I enjoy the genre. Whenever I watch cartoons from my past, I cannot help but recognize some of the social values presented in some of the shows. Enjoy:

1. Josie, Valerie, and Melody from Josie and the Pussycats 

Okay the best parts of Cartoon Network in the early to mid 1990s is the re-runs of old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. One of these that I’ve loved so much as a kid was Josie and the Pussycats. It was awesome to see girls fronting their own band and solve mysteries impromptly. The cartoon was notable as being the first cartoon to have an African-American as the primary cast, which was before the premiere of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The music was also very excellent with Josie on guitar, Melody on the drums, and Valerie on tamborine (though in the comics, she played guitar). Yet they’ve always dealt with crazy bad guys performing devilish scheames and ready to spout “you meddling kids!” and a really jealous girl that is always trying to play dirty tricks on them (especially Josie) and start her one-woman band. Yet the Pussycats never let anything like that spoil everything? Music is just plain healing and relaxing. 

Lesson Learned: Don’t ever let people spoil everything for you and remember that having a good time is an indirect way of blowing the raspberry at them.

Fresh Friday, 5/20

Freshness under the jump.

Regulations - A Hairy Situation

Yglaesias:

Jestina Clayton is an African hair-braider with 23 years of experience. But the Utah Barber, Cosmetologist/Barber, Esthetician, Electrologist and Nail Technician Licensing Board told her that she cannot practise her craft unless she first obtains a licence—which means spending up to $18,000 on 2,000 hours of study, none of it devoted to African hair-braiding.

The column ends by noting the failure of a bill to relax this sort of thing in Florida “despite” the recent election of a cavalcade of right-wing politicians there. But of course there’s very little that’s surprising about this. Not only is interest group support for irrational licensing strong, but there’s no particular “rich people get more money” angle in pushing deregulation. It’s a nice thing to talk about and a good example of how big government isn’t always on the side of the little guy, but there’s meager incentive to do anything about it.

Exactly right.

Progressives' views on Osama bin Laden do not contradict theirs on torture.

Fox just won't stop, will it? From The O'Reilly Factor, the other night:

Of course, this would be too complex for Bill O'Reilly to think up by himself. Let's take a look at the radical far-right website WorldNetDaily, 19 hours earlier; from an article titled, "Execution, OK! Waterboarding, no way":

If waterboarding is unlawful torture, then one would think that government-ordered execution without trial must be unspeakable. Well, apparently not if Obama is the one giving the order.

My word. Let's take a trip back to reality, shall we?

Michelle Malkin - Asians can be racist, too.

Take a look at the following advertisement for Dunkin' Donuts:

If you didn't notice anything scary about this Rachel Ray commercial, then you probably hate America.

Or, that's what I would say if I were Michelle Malkin, a conservative hack.

Game's "Red Nation"

Amazing beat, rough lyrics, and a vicious hook from Lil' Wayne.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: May 15, 2011

Wash. Times:

The U.S. military’s success in Pakistan this week proved the importance of maintaining a team focused on accomplishing dangerous missions. Others on the left prefer to look upon the armed forces as a playground to experiment with fringe ideas. Take the Air Force Academy which reportedly held a ceremony on Tuesday to dedicate a pile of rocks in the academy’s “worship area for followers of Earth-centered religions.” 

This is a space cadets can use to perform rituals if they happen to be witches, warlocks and tree-worshipers. Overlooking the visitor center, the stone circle is designed for the benefit of a handful of those claiming to be Wiccans or Druids. [...] 

The Air Force is not alone in pandering. At Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland on Wednesday, the Army hosted a live-fire demonstration of its new M855A1 ammunition which boasts an “environmentally-friendly projectile.” [...] 

Though cloaked in scientific terms, the tenets of global warming are essentially pagan. This belief system, which cannot be questioned, holds that material sacrifice - turn down your thermostat and trade in your light bulbs - will result in a change in the weather. It is the modern equivalent of a rain dance. These neo-Pagan worshippers now have a federally supplied space they can call their own in the hills of Colorado Springs, Colo.

In other words, if you're not in a popular religion, the Washington Times think that you not worthy of the same respect that it would give to, say, Christianity. Check out the language surrounding how the writer refers to the individuals in question - "those claiming to be Wiccans or Druids". Claiming. Not "those who identify as" or "those who are".

Did you know that Osama bin Laden was really a Democrat?

Since the right-wing talking point that "Democrats want the terrorists to win" has been fully dismantled by a Democrat eliminating the threat of the most notable terrorist in the world, the far-right has been looking for a way to vindicate itself. Is this it? WorldNetDaily's website featured an "exclusive commentary" today, titled "Was bin Laden a communist?" Let me quote from it:

Wait, wait, wait. Let's just start with the title - according to a tape received in early 2004 by al Jazeera:

In his messages, bin Laden has opposed "pan-Arabism, socialism, communism, democracy and other doctrines," with the exception of Islam.

So, off the bat, the title is just misleading. The rest of the article isn't much better - emphasis mine:

[An aforementioned book] revealed commonalities between bin Laden's anti-Americanism and that of the radical left, including shared anti-Semitic tinged conspiracy theories regarding the Sept. 11 attack itself. Bin Laden had the nerve to blame a government within the government in the United States that was, he alleged, in a manner that echoes left-wing radicals, responsible for the attack because there are intelligence agencies in the U.S. that require billions of dollars of funds from the Congress and the government every year. [...]

In April 2004 bin Laden, virtually channeling the radical left, ranted about big media, which he described as "agents of deception and exploitation." In language that could have justly been voiced by American left-wingers such as Michael Moore, he alleged that the motivation for the war in Iraq was to make "billions of dollars for the big corporations, whether it be those who manufacture weapons or reconstruction firms like Halliburton and its offshoot sister companies." [...] 

Perhaps the barely concealed admiration for bin Laden on the part of radical leftists stems from the fact that bin Laden did what they failed to do – he conducted a successful frontal assault on America and killed 3,000 people while striking the solar plexus of capitalism, Wall Street and the epicenter of American military power, the Pentagon.

BIGBANG2 - So fresh

Tracklist:

1. Intro (Thank You & You)
2. TONIGHT
3. Somebody to Luv
4. BEAUTIFUL HANGOVER
5. オラ Yeah !
6. Tell Me Goodbye
7. 声をきかせて
8. Ms. LIAR
9. Hands Up
10. LOVE SONG

With the release of the third Japanese album from Korean group (BIGBANG), fans should know that purchasing this is entirely worth it.

BIGBANG2 was released on May 11th in Japan.

Fresh Friday, 5/13

Freshness below the fold.

CT-Sen. Edith Prague - In favor of penis-related torture without a trial.

While my representative in the Connecticut legislature, Republican Al Adinolfi, has proven to be absolutely pathetic, his inhumanity may have just been eclipsed by a Democrat's.

That's right. Senator Edith Prague, Democrat from the 19th district, made one of the most disgusting comments when discussing the death penalty.

CT News Junkie:

Prague said she recently met with Dr. William Petit, the sole survivor of a brutal 2007 triple-homicide at his Cheshire home. Petit, his sister-in-law and their lawyer urged Prague not to vote for the repeal, as it would become impossible to get a death penalty sentence for the second accused murderer in that case. 

Prague had strong words for that man, Joshua Komisarjevsky. 

“They should bypass the trial and take that second animal and hang him by his penis from a tree out in the middle of Main Street,” she said.

New 2NE1/투애니원 - "LONELY", with Analysis

The first 투애니원 (2NE1) song (as a group) in 2011. Pretty amazing, huh?

Are you wearing your "Turtleneck & Chain"?

Tracklist:

1. We're Back!
2. Mama
3. I Just Had Sex (featuring Akon)
4. Jack Sparrow (featuring Michael Bolton)
5. Attracted to Us (featuring Beck)
6. Rocky
7. My Mic – Interlude
8. Turtleneck & Chain (featuring Snoop Dogg)
9. Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde (featuring Rihanna)
10. Trouble on Dookie Island
11. Falcor vs. Atreyu – Classy Skit #1
12. Motherlover (featuring Justin Timberlake)
13. The Creep (featuring Nicki Minaj and John Waters)
14. Watch Me Do Me – Classy Skit #2
15. Threw It on the Ground
16. Japan
17. After Party (featuring Santigold)
18. No Homo
19. No Homo Outro

Unlike their first disc, which borrowed heavily from their Saturday Night Live sketches, it was interesting to see what the trio came up with. With five full tracks and music videos already released, how does the Lonely Island's sophomore album stand on its own?

The Lonely Island's second release has already achieved significant success.

Pause.

When someone in a small community dies, it's Earth-shattering. No matter the area within the community, you can hear a pin drop. Tear-stained, blood-shot eyes are not an unusual or suggestive sight. People, from all walks of life, are united in their sadness.

The Fox and the Hound keep it real.

New Lonely Island!

Jack Sparrow featuring Michael Bolton:

This week is going to be huge. Both The Lonely Island and 빅뱅 (BIGBANG) are releasing new albums on the same days. Expect reviews of both albums.

Turtleneck & Chain drops on Tuesday, May 10th.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: May 8, 2011

Excuse me for being a few days late on this one.

Today...

...I am taking the day off.

If you have a mobile device, you can now use it to read the website.

Enjoy your day!

G-Dragon Speaks Fluent English.

Vic:

K-pop is sweeping over the world, and American Teddy Riley, the late Michael Jackson’s producer, recognized the power and influence of k-pop. On April 21st, Teddy Riley came to Korea to support his girl group RANIA. He attended the special Jeju Island episode of “Inkigayo” to watch his brainchild perform among k-pop’s greats. He especially showed great interest to [Korean pop group, 빅뱅 (BIGBANG)], even before their [performance]. 

He also had the chance to go backstage and meet with various Korean music artists. [...] Towards BIGBANG, Teddy Riley commented, “This group has the potential to grow beyond Asia.” BIGBANG’s G-Dragon is fluent in English and was seen conversing fluently with Teddy Riley. 

He added, “I was deeply moved by the performances. I’ve heard a lot of stories about k-pop and its popularity throughout, but I was able to see for myself the enormous influence it has. I believe k-pop will continue to achieve great success throughout the American and European market."

There are two awesome aspects of his statement. The first is that this marks yet another US producer who believes that YG has strong potential in the American market. USVIPs can keep their fingers crossed, since it looks as if 2NE1's American plans are pretty definite.

One of the late Michael Jackson's producers says that BIGBANG has potential in the US market.

Last night's GOP presidential debate...

...was basically a total joke. Sam Seder, political commentator and Connecticut College graduate, basically called the outcome before the debate even started:

Realistically, it doesn't matter how elated the conservative blogosphere is concerning Hermain Cain - he's has no chance of winning the nomination.

Fresh Friday, 5/6

Technically, these aren't new photos. However, this is one of my favorite fashion photoshoots of all time. It's pretty much fresh enough for any Friday. The models are rapper T.O.P and actress 이미숙 for Elle Magazine Korea. Check out the freshness below the jump.

First Republican 2012 Presidential Debate - WATCH NOW

A more realistic Republican logo.

Fox News and the Republican Party of South Carolina have teamed up (not much of a news story here) to bring the first GOP debate for the 2012 election. While I will rarely ever link to the propaganda outfit which calls itself Fox News, it is the only place to watch this. Click here to watch the debate; I'll be live-tweeting the event.

Follow Up - Torture Still Wrong, Conservatives Still Lying

Unsurprisingly, my post "Torture did not help us to find Osama bin Laden" sparked some negative reactions. And, after being retweeted by Andrew Breitbart for calling him out on his disgusting death-fetishism, the wingnuts seem to be out in full force. A reader seems to have forgotten the facts whilst posting anonymously:

You call this fact based? Let me just quote one section of the New York Times article. "Detainees at the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had given the courier’s pseudonym to American interrogators and said that the man was a protégé of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the confessed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. American intelligence officials said Sunday night that they finally learned the courier’s real name four years ago, but that it took another two years for them to learn the general region where he operated. Still, it was not until August that they tracked him to the compound in Abbottabad, a medium-sized city about an hour’s drive north of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan." Got that? The work that resulted in this raid began a long time ago, and the credit goes not to Obama or Bush but to the many dedicated men and women who worked countless hours to track the courier down. Your title is correct, but you fall off the cliff at the end of your piece. I won't be surprised if you refuse to publish my comment, but you can at least admit to yourself that you are wrong.

This mirrors a tweet I received from some irate teabagger:

@fgbm27 claims "liars", then lies - http://goo.gl/j8GOP - contrast his last para crediting OTUS with NYT's account - http://nyti.ms/jWBPa4

(For the record, my piece had no mention of the word "liars", but, I digress.)

The document which conservatives forget explicitly bans torture.

Let's walk these two through this, shall we?

"Who Has Abortions?" - Factual Look at Abortion

Real talk. Please pass this along to your friends.

Transcript below the jump.

Torture did not help us to find Osama bin Laden.

Today, I was reaidng the oh-so-very-serious blog Newsbusters. Cutting through the liberal bias, they cut straight to the punch:

The AP is reporting [...] that "secret prisons" and "harsh interrogation techniques" were involved in getting the "first strands of information" that ultimately led to Sunday operation which killed 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden. [...]   

Uh, guys and gals, I would say that this won't "reignite" the debate. It ends the debate.

Oh, really? Well, let's not let the facts get in the way of this wonderful story.

Conservatives wasted no time in exploiting Obama's success to justify torture.

Americans Must Maintain Perspective.

As I broke the news last night (significantly earlier than anyone in the mainstream media, might I add), Americans began to celebrate. Many people on my campus were awoken by midnight chants of "USA! USA! USA!", impromptu renditions of the national anthem, and by people blasting "We Are The Champions" and "America Fuck Yeah". However, this all beckoned a new question - what are we celebrating?

Abbottabad, Pakistan: the city where Osama bin Laden died.

Osama bin Laden is dead.

The title says it all.

This is a big deal.

President Obama is about to speak on this, while I live-tweet this monumental event. This is a big fucking deal.

President Obama's Surprise Speech - Huge Post, with Updates

Live from the White House:

Birther Issue Continues To Split Conservatives

As I have previously documented, the racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, known as "birtherism", is tearing conservatives apart. Well, it looks as if the crazies haven't finished with their nonsense.

Whenever I want a quick laugh, I turn on the propaganda outfit known as Fox News. But, whenever I want to laugh out loud, I turn over to WorldNetDaily, where right-wingers go to disseminate their conspiracy theories.

Racism in America, 2011.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy: May 1, 2011

I think people need some clarification.

Those of us who do not believe in a god (regardless of whether one is an atheist, an agnostic, or whichever nontheist label fits best), do not think those who do believe in a god are stupid or unintelligent.

We do believe that a belief in god is irrational, which is entirely different from being a descriptor of ignorance.

If believing in god made someone unintelligent, than the majority of great thinkers from all of human civilization, and the vast majority of people on Earth are ignorant. Nontheists do not believe this to be true.

Just some food for thought.