Weekly Roundup, 02/29/12

Happy leap year!

Arizona and Michigan Primaries 2012 - Huge post, with updates!

Nate Silver sees Arizona as a damn-sure win for Mitt Romney, but predicts that there is a chance that Rick Santorum could win in Michigan. Newt Gingrich will continue to help Romney and hurt Santorum. Ron Paul, as usual, doesn't really matter.

A car built in Michigan being used in Arizona

BIGBANG (빅뱅) releases "BAD BOY"

Released moments ago, along with the full album:

'Without a Face,' but with swagger

Local rapper T. Blake's newest mixtape, Without A Face:

1. Paradise 
2. Burn Me Down (Bonfire)
3. Echoes
4. Every Saint (Featuring M.Cash)
5. Mad World
6. What I Have (Popular)
7. What I'm Promised (My Country Tis Of) 
8. Underground King
9. On Some High Shit (JSG featuring T. Blake)
10. Martian (A.T.E Throwback)
11. Floating
12. Don't Forget Me (Featuring Seven)
13. Cadence
14. Aardvark (Spelling List)
15. Misguided 
16. Why I Love
17. I Don't Even... (Niggas in Paris Freestyle)
18. Sleazier (Bonus Freestyle)

So, how does it stack up to his first two releases, Alien to Earth and Good Looks?

Keeping the Sabbath Holy: February 26, 2012

Mon dieu:

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum criticized President Barack Obama's apology for the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan, adding that Afghanistan should apologize to the U.S. for the deaths of four U.S. soldiers during six days of violence sparked by the incident. 

"There was nothing deliberately done wrong here," Santorum said Sunday on ABC television's "This Week." ''This was something that happened as a mistake. Killing Americans in uniform is not a mistake. It was something that deliberate." 

More than 30 people have been killed in clashes since it emerged Tuesday that copies of the Muslim holy book and other religious materials had been thrown into a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a large U.S. base north of Kabul. Protesters angry over Quran burnings by American troops lobbed grenades Sunday at a U.S. base in northern Afghanistan and clashed with police and troops in a day of violence that left seven international troops wounded and two Afghans dead.

More than 30 people have died? I cannot think of one single book that I would kill someone over. The troops should not be burning Qur'ans and, since we are in another country, I see nothing wrong with apologizing for our misbehavior. President Obama apologized to save innocent lives; I fail to see the issue. However, Rick Santorum raises an excellent point about American Christian fundamentalism.

Source.

Death penalty repeal in Connecticut, 2012 edition

Good news:

It was expected that members of the State House of Representatives would bring a bill to the Judiciary Committee this afternoon calling for the end of the death penalty here Connecticut. It remains unclear whether the majority of state legislators will sign on to the bill, but last year a similar attempt failed.  

However, with both Komisarjevsky and his accomplice Steven Hayes, the two men charged in the Cheshire home invasion murders, now on death row, it appears more representatives might be willing to back the measure. Gov. Dannel Malloy has also indicated he would sign any bill abolishing capital punishment, which stands in stark contrast to his predecessor, former Gov. Jodi Rell, who was a supporter of the death penalty and vetoed a bill calling for the law's end during her time in office.

I think it's obvious that I support abolition. The atrocity of the death penalty in Connecticut has gone on for far too long. I am glad that legislators have already raised a bill to repeal it.

Source.

Fresh Friday, 2/24

I was hoping to have mastered Adobe Contribute by tonight…

Source.

Let's play a game…

Imagine you and I are sitting together. There is a nice fire burning, painting the room with a crisp auburn color. The dog is perched at my feet, humming softly as he naps. Our glasses clink, before we both take generous sips of our drinks. Osama bin Laden is still at large. The last unemployment number was around 9%. Last month, Herman Cain announced his candidacy.

It is February 2011. We begin to discuss the upcoming Republican field. The first GOP debate is roughly two months away. Flash forward to today.

Source.

Weekly Roundup, 02/15/12

I'm singing my blues.

BIGBANG (빅뱅) releases "BLUE"

Released minutes ago on YouTube:

Twentieth GOP debate TOMORROW NIGHT!

Debate rant du jour: It does appear that there will only be one debate after this one. That means that there will have been 21 fucking debates. However, I cannot honestly say that I have gained much–if anything–from them. This just goes to show that it is quality over quantity.

Source.

Canada giving money to Blackwater

Absolutely disgusting:

The Canadian Forces spent $2.4 million last year on training at a facility run by Xe Services, the U.S. private security company formerly known as Blackwater. 

The company and its training facility were used to teach precision shooting and defensive driving, as well as VIP escort requirements and close quarter combat techniques, according to documents tabled Monday in the House of Commons.

Blackwater or Xe or Academi (as it is now called) is a mercenary group formed by noted Christian supremacist Erik Prince. (Who, might I add, has supported Rick Santorum for years.) In 2007, they killed 17 innocent civilians in an unprovoked rampage, and then tried to bribe their way out of it. They have also held infamous cocaine parties in Iraq and given their troops anabolic steroids. And they are also notorious for "one dollar blowjobs" from child prostitutes.

Glad to see that Canada is funding them.

Source.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy: February 19, 2012

Atheism is not a religion. As Bill Maher puts it,

Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position.

Defending Justin Bieber – I want him to die

Just to see how many mindless critics make a 180º change and start complimenting him after his death.

Source.

Fresh Friday, 2/17

Good evening!

News Snap – 'The Colbert Report' currently suspended

I wish I was joking:

Production has halted on "The Colbert Report" for Wednesday and Thursday, according to fans who had tickets for the rest of the week's tapings. […] Third Beat and Mediaite are reporting that audience members were informed late Tuesday night viaemail, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have cancelled our taping for the date of your ticket reservation, February 15, 2012."

In all seriousness – what is going on?

Source.

Keith Olbermann, #OccupyWallStreet, and feminist messaging

This makes me really wish I had Current TV:

Jeremy Lin and the role of Asians in American sports

If it weren't for my sport-enthusiast friends, I would have had no clue who Jeremy Lin was. For those of you who don't know, this Taiwanese star is heating things up on the New York Knicks team. (Which, apparently, isn't that great of a team.)

Source.

Weekly Roundup, 02/15/12

Good morning!

Valentine's Day – Right or wrong?

 Published yesterday:

Dear Fred, 

Valentine’s Day is coming up next week. My girlfriend and I plan to celebrate the holiday, but I have my qualms about it. I am divided on whether or not it is a good thing. What do you think? 

Sincerely,
Team Unsure

Source.

News Snap – Same-sex marriage legalized in Washington state!

From the AP:

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire handed gay rights advocates a major victory, signing into law a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage in Washington state, making it the seventh in the nation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Gregoire signed the bill surrounded by gay rights supporters. […] The law takes effect June 7, but opponents on multiple fronts already are preparing to fight. Opponents planned to file a challenge Monday that could put the law on hold pending the outcome of a November vote. Separately, an initiative was filed at the beginning of the session that opponents of gay marriage say could lead to the new law being overturned.

 Victory!

Source.

UConn rape video, Chinese book censorship, and "The Real Slim Shady" – effective activism requires context

The BBC recently featured a fascinating story that revealed books censored in China are quite popular in Taiwan:

The Chinese government keeps a tight control on the publishing and importation of books, especially those on what it deems sensitive subjects. […] But in Taiwan, the trade in Chinese language books banned on the mainland is thriving.

This isn't terribly surprising. In part, when governments censor media, it does not make much sense to put much effort into censoring mediocre media that presents a dangerous point of view.* Hell, to associate a dangerous point of view with mediocrity might even be a good thing. So, it makes sense that the banned Chinese books are so popular in Taiwan – not only because the act of banning them generates press, but also because these books are likely to be of a fairly solid quality.

Source.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy: February 12, 2012

I've blogged about Jill Stanek before. Maybe I treat her with a false sense of legitimacy, but I guess I just hold the #1 pro-life blogger to a higher standard than I would to a weirdo protesting outside of Planned Parenthood. However, as she demonstrates in a recent blog post against Plan B, I really have to no reason to do so.

Source.

Maine 2012 Caucus - Huge Post with Updates

…actually, it's probably not going to be that huge, nor will it have that many updates. Mitt Romney won, we're just waiting on the full results.

Source.

'The Voice' ad gets Kill Bill wrong

While I love Adam Levine, Kill Bill, and, of course, Betty White, I was a little disappointed to see the following ad:

The fighting styles, clothing (especially Cee Lo's jumpsuit) and music are homages to Kill Bill, Vol. 1. The song in the background is "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei which is from the Kill Bill soundtrack. I am not quite sure why the title of the ad is "Vocal Kombat," since it has nothing to do with the video game series Mortal Kombat. However, the ad got more than just that wrong.

Fresh Friday, 2/10

Don't tell me that I haven't nothin' to do.

Family Institute of Connecticut outlines disgusting 2012 agenda

CROSS-POSTED AT THE COLLEGE VOICE.

When the Family Institute of Connecticut takes a break from making bathroom jokes or mocking dead transgender people, one can find them causing all sorts of unnecessary hoopla. They released a rough outline of their 2012 agenda to their email supporters yesterday and, it basically keeps up their age-old tradition of making socially progressive legislation sound over 9,000 times worse than it actually is. More below the jump.

Source.

Weekly Roundup, 02/08/12

Decided to do a bit of rebranding today. Same old goodness, but with a new title.

Republicans versus innocent Chinese citizens

CROSS-POSTED AT THE COLLEGE VOICE.

Republican Pete Hokestra is running against Democrat Debbie Stabenow in Minnesota for senate. Despite both voting for the original $700 Bush bailout and trillions of dollars of deficit spending, the Hokestra campaign released this unbelievable advertisement:

While Hokestra has the right to spend absurd amounts of money on racist ads that run during the Super Bowl, he's hardly the only Republican to be doing this.

Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri Primaries 2012 - Huge post, with updates!

Three primaries tonight. In other words, three wins for Mitt Romney, three second place victories for Newt Gingrich, three third places for Ron Paul, and three more excellent reasons for Rick Santorum to drop out.

Source.

M.I.A. raises a good point – censorship is unnecessary

CROSS-POSTED AT THE COLLEGE VOICE.


Alyssa Rosenberg got it right last night:

People apparently want to know if I have thoughts on M.I.A. flipping the bird at the end of her verse. So here they are: I think it’s exactly the kind of bland, predictable, wannabe-controversial-but-utterly-predictable-and-meaning-free thing she would do, and as such, essentially unworthy of notice or comment.

She expounded on this point today, but not before the pro-censorship Parents Television Council fired off a press release:

“NBC fumbled and the NFL lied because a performer known as M.I.A. felt it necessary to flip off millions of families. It is unfortunate that a spectacular sporting event was overshadowed once again by broadcasting the selfish acts of a desperate performer. […] 

“A simple apology rings hollow after yet another slap in the face to families, especially when NBC has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that it should be allowed to air all manner of indecent material at any time of day, even when children are watching.

The point here is not that the PTC is overreacting–their entire job is to overreact. It's nothing new. The takeaway moment here is that they actively support the federal government censoring broadcast television.

Source.

Bisexual celebrities, the media, and trusting women

Azealia Banks, an up and coming rapper, recently came out of the closet as bisexual:

"Ms. Banks considers herself bisexual, but, she said: "I'm not trying to be, like, the bisexual, lesbian rapper. I don't live on other people's terms.'"

Add her to a growing list of celebrities who have revealed themselves to be bisexual: Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Lady GaGa, and Amber Rose, to name a few. What has fascinated me is the lack of media coverage these popular artists' coming out stories have received, compared to those of gay or bisexual male counterparts. What is going on?

Source.

How dumb are sports arguments?

It seems to me that most sport preferences come from where one is located, as opposed to any factual or objective criteria. Or, it seems, people pick arbitrary deciding factors to make their judgements (i.e. "Team A beat Team B, therefore I want Team A to beat Team C" or "My significant other likes Team D, so I do too"). Thus, most sports debates are extremely inane and pointless. Further, the ability to label a team "good" or "bad" seems to be not only heavily influenced by one's geographical bias, but also by the current state of the team, not necessarily by any absolute statement of fact.

Source.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy: February 5, 2012

This deserves reposting:

"It's no surprise that some 100 million Americans will watch the Super Bowl next week. That's 40 million more than go to church on Christmas. Suck on that, Jesus!" – Bill Maher

Nevada 2012 Primary - Huge Post with Updates

…and we're on to primary number five!

Source.

Some people…

I'm getting really sick of Facebook statuses and tweets like this:

It took every bit of self restraint for me to not post that comment.

Fresh Friday, 2/3

Good evening!

A common sense solution to online piracy

Alyssa Rosenberg raised an excellent point about how corporations can both cut down on piracy and make it easier for their fans:

I think it’s quite smart of ABC and the creative folks involved in The River (including one Mr. Steven Spielberg) to make sure that the show will be available to UK audiences via iTunes the same time it’ll be available to American audiences in the same format. It’s not the same thing as having a coordinated domestic and international air date, which I think would be preferable in terms of preventing piracy, though riskier in terms of aggregating ratings, would take a long time to set up, and wouldn’t be possible for all shows. But it does mean that folks in the UK have a legal, timely, fairly priced way to get a show that denies them any and all fig leaves to hide behind about torrenting it instead.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Korean group BIGBANG. However, their parent company, YG Entertainment, is making the very error that has just been described.

Source.

Ideology, radicalism, and pragmatism

For all intents and purposes, the teabaggers' influence has turned pretty irrelevant over the past few months. They may still have influence within the Republican Party, but, in terms of mainstream politics, they hardly have the same pull. One of the most prominent reasons for this was, in my view, the inability of teabagger leadership to put some of the more radical positions on the backburner.

There's nothing wrong with holding some radical views. But, the inability to understand reality may have damaging effects for political or social movements.

Source.

Humpway Linkday, 02/01/12

Christ, why is SNSD/Girls Generation (소녀시대) stuck in my head? 

Questionable logic concerning romance

Connecticut's supposed number one hit music station, KC101, demonstrated something that has always fascinated me about relationship advice. Posted on its Facebook page:

What is important to note is that the question is phrased in an absolute manner; it's not whether a post-relationship friendship is likely, but rather if it even has the potential to exist.

No, welfare recipients should not be drug tested

CROSS-POSTED AT THE COLLEGE VOICE.

It's an election year, so I guess that it makes sense that right-wing nonsense is going viral:

"URINALYSIS
Shouldn't you have to pass a urine test to collect a welfare check,
since I have to pass one to earn it for you?"

My answer to the question? No.