Did you know that it's Asian-American History Month?

I sure as hell didn't, but an awesome post on Tumblr kindly informed me. For whatever reason, it seems that Asian-Americans get the raw end of the stick in terms of being acknowledged in the same way that African-Americans and Latinos are. (I don't want to compare apples to oranges in terms of these groups' histories, though.) Here's a little fun fact: did you know that Asian-Americans are the fastest growing racial minority in the United States?

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Link Roundup, 05/30/12

Last Saturday, Daily Kos turned 10 years old. It is one of the (if not the) first progressive political blog that I started reading about back in the day. After following more beltway media than I would like to admit, it was nice to hear some unabashed progressives who didn't give a damn about false equivalence.

Sex selective abortions, Planned Parenthood, and dishonest video editing

I woke up to some scary stupid stuff on my RSS reader:

Live Action says Planned Parenthood and other U.S. abortion providers are willing to assist in the termination of baby girls for pregnant women who choose abortion because they want to have baby boys. And the pro-life abortion watchdog says its video series and a new website will expose it all. 

“This was a multi-state, national investigation demonstrating that this is a widespread problem across our country,” Live Action president Lila Rose told The Daily Caller in an interview Monday. 

“First of all, the statistics and studies indicate that we are adding to the growing problem across the world of sex-selective targeting of unborn girls for abortion. We are going to be demonstrating — starting with this video from Texas — that the abortion industry in the United States is aiding and abetting this horrific problem.”

Anti-abortion group Live Action is at it again, using dishonest tactics to rally people against safe and legal abortion in the United States. The tactic de jour is to rally folks against the non-issue of American sex-based genocide.

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Defending Chris Hayes' statements about war veterans

On Sunday, Chris Hayes set the conservative blogosphere aflame by saying the following:

Why do I feel so [uncomfortable] about the word "hero"?  I feel […] uncomfortable, about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. I don't want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that's fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic.

However, even on Memorial Day, he's one hundred percent correct.

What I Am

While I have a page devoted to potential conflicts of interest, I don't think I've ever discussed what my personal political positions are. I don't really like labels, but they do make things a lot easier. The 411 is below the jump.

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#ToonamisBackBitches

CROSS-POSTED AT BLIND MOUSE ENTERTAINMENT.


When it comes to television and film from one’s childhood, the average American college student likely has fond memories of the days of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon in her or his head. And, frankly, there’s good reason for that – from Hey Arnold! to Dexter’s Laboratory, Rugrats to Scooby Doo, it’s doubtful that many 90s kids weren’t touched by these lovable ’toons in one way or another. However great these classics were, my personal favorite cartoon block is about to make a great return to television – and I could not be more excited to witness the return of Toonami.

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Race, age, and social mobility

As I've written about before, I love spending time at my friend's farm. While previewing the produce and riding through the fields are staples of the experience, the bulk of my time there is spent chewing the fat. My friend's father (who owns the farm) and I routinely talk politics, which unquestionably starts with him asking me, "So, Freddy, have you decided to become a Republican yet?" Whatever the topic, our conversations always lead to him predicting that I will join the GOP as I grow older.

While I usually brush this aside as being unsubstantiated speculation, I was interested in a recent Gallup poll which showed that age is only a factor among non-Hispanic white voters. Check it out:

Did Hillary Clinton start all of this birther nonsense?

With biterism again on the rise, the right-wing has developed a new explanation: it's not actually their own fault, but Hillary Clinton's! It's incredibly dumb; let's review:

• June 7, 2008 – Hillary Clinton drops out of the 2008 presidential race.
• June 7, 2008 – Hillary Clinton endorses Barack Obama for president.
• August 21, 2008 – Phillip J. Berg, a Democrat who ardently supported Hillary Clinton, files a lawsuit against Barack Obama, alleging that then Sen. Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii.
• October 23, 2008 – The Berg v. Obama lawsuit is thrown out for being frivolous.

Seems pretty cut and dry to me. However, conservatives are attempting to rewrite history on this one.

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Link Roundup, 05/23/12

My eyes are about to collapse.

Definitive proof that America still needs feminism

This is probably one of the most disturbing soundbytes I've heard in quite some time:

'Taken' – misguided or just plain bad?

Think about any James Bond movie and then think about Saving Private Ryan. They're both action movies, yet they're both so different from one another. What gives? Well, in James Bond, it is established early on that the movie will be pseudo-realistic, trading the laws physics for unsurmountable swagger and allowing him to dodge 4,662 bullets. In Saving Private Ryan, the viewer understands early on that the plot will be more realistic; the plot might be a mit more depressing, but it will enable the film to portray real life more easily.

When I finally got around the watching the 2008 blockbuster Taken, I realized that it suffered an identity crisis – was it James Bond or Saving Private Ryan?

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Conservatives, consistency, and LGBTQ folks

There's something exceedingly hypocritical (and not to mention disgusting) about Laura Ingraham's most recent blog post:

Nicki Minaj and Budweiser Beer

CROSS-POSTED AT BLIND MOUSE ENTERTAINMENT.


It’s not a state secret that Budweiser isn’t that good of a beer. Its modus operandi is to appeal to as many people as possible, thereby losing all of its distinctive features. Over atBeerAdvocate.com, one user commented that it has, “no detectable hops or other quality flavors. Borders on watery, especially if you just drank a good beer.” Steve of The Opinionated Beer Page writes:

[Have] any of you ever actually tasted this beer? Not drank, mind you, but tasted. Chugging this to get drunk is not tasting, because as any beer connoisseur will tell you, you have to savor the beer by drinking slowly, to absorb the different flavors.

So, let me ask you: have you ever listened to—not just heard—Nicki Minaj’s recent work?

What's that sound?

Why, it's the drumbeat of war:

Some 63 percent of Americans would be in favor of taking military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to a new survey. […] The Pew Research Center asked 26,210 people in 21 different countries to give their views on Iran’s alleged plans to get nuclear weapons, finding widespread opposition to the idea in the West and also in some countries in the Mideast.

I've been mulling over the question of what the 2012 election will be focused on. Since education has faded from the national consciousness, it will be very interesting to observe what role Iran plays in the upcoming political season.

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No evidence that Trayvon Martin was high at the time of the shooting

I absolutely despise high profile court cases. They generally represent an anomaly and they involve way more speculation than I am comfortable with. That's why there have been very few posts on Bloody Shrubbery about the Trayvon Martin case. However, this analysis from Joel Pollak was incredibly dumb:

ABC News reports that Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, had drugs in his body on the night of his death:

The autopsy report shows traces of the drug THC, which is found in marijuana, in Martin's blood and urine.

On the infamous 911 call that Zimmerman made to police, Zimmerman told the dispatcher that Martin looked like he was "on drugs or something." […] That suspicion--which was twisted by the left and the mainstream media as part of an attempt to accuse Zimmerman of acting on racist motives--has been confirmed.

Actually, that's incorrect. Marijuana, on average, stays in a person's system for 13 days after smoking, but this number can change depending on frequency. Is this the same right-wing lecturing liberals about allegedly jumping to unwarranted assumptions?

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Putting tentacle rape games into context

…I'm not actually going to defend the content, but I have been following the controversy over Tentacle Bento. Basically, it's a card game where you play the role of "a horrid, tentacle flailing, slime oozing monster from outer space [who is] disguised (of course) as an adorable, and newly enrolled student at Takoashi University, an all-girls school nestled in scenic Japan." It was sponsored by users on a crowd-funding website called Kickstarter before the funding was shut down.

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ICYMI

…I have stopped doing posts for each of the primaries. Frankly put, they got really boring (and unnecessary) since Rick Santorum dropped out of the race. Now that Ron Paul has decided to peace, I see no need to keep on creating them.

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Link Roundup, 05/16/12

Jump or fold?

Humans of New York, online debates, and elitism

Humans of New York is an interesting Facebook-based blog. Think The Satorialist, but more amateur and with an NYC bias. The images posted generally are accompanied by an except of the conversation between the photographer and the subject. However, today this blogger posted the following status:

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Judicial nominee rejected for being gay by Virginian right-wing

Absolutely despicable:

The Virginia House of Delegates rejected the judicial nomination of a gay prosecutor on Tuesday after conservative Republican lawmakers argued that the nominee would press an activist agenda. […] 

Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, implicitly condemned the vote in a statement released by his office Tuesday, saying judicial candidates “must be considered based solely on their merit, record, aptitude and skill." […] "The governor has long made clear that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not acceptable in state government,” the statement said

This isn't any old Republican governor – this is Bob McDonnell! The same right-winger whose college thesis made national headlines for slamming gay people, insulting unwed mothers, questioning divorce laws, pushing for the criminalization of pornography. Even he believes that this vote was wrong.

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That was easy

Andrew Brietbart's website, 1:30PM yesterday:

My tumblr page, 12 minutes later:

Good luck with that, Bill

Over the past few years, many have commented that Bill O'Reilly has been one of the most centrist pundits over at Fox News. Relative to Sean Hannity or Greg Gutford or (the late) Glenn Beck? Yeah, that might be true. But, that doesn't make him not an arrogant douche:

News Snap – Ron Paul to stop campaigning

Surprise, surprise, surprise:

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday that he will no longer campaign in primary states that have not yet voted, but urged those who support his candidacy for president to continue organizing in states that have voted, in order to win delegates to the national convention. […] 

Though it is clear that Romney will be the nominee at the national convention in August, Paul could make waves in Tampa if large numbers of delegates from states that Romney won vote for him instead. […] 

Paul's decision to pull back from campaigning is an acknowledgment that it is not a realistic possibility for him to overtake Romney's lead in delegates. But in true Paulian fashion, his statement is the clearest indication yet that while others such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Santorum may have talked about going all the way to the convention, the iconoclast congressman actually intends to do so.

And then there was one.

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Vice presidential politics

Around this time in a presidential election is when I begin to ignore all media reports about who the candidates are supposedly thinking about picking to run as their vice president. Why? Because they are almost always wrong.

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Nintendo's Samus from the Metroid series comes out as a lesbian (UPDATED)

I'm not the biggest video game person, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Nintendo. From Pokémon to Zelda, I find that the games are usually well-constructed, plot-lines fully fleshed out, and extremely entertaining. I was first introduced to the Metroid series when I played Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube. The Metroid series revolves around a character named Samus Aran, a badass bounty hunter who sort of resembles Jango Fett from Star Wars:

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Mitt Romney, boarding school, and bullying

On the 9th of May, President Barack Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage rights, for the first time in his presidency. It was extremely well received, as national polling for same-sex marriage hits record highs, and sympathy for LGBTQ suicides also resonates with many folks. On the 10th, the Washington Post broke the story that Mitt Romney was, essentially, a bully back in boarding school. Let's examine this.

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Which pop stars will endorse Mitt Romney?

CROSS-POSTED AT BLIND MOUSE ENTERTAINMENT.

In 2008, it’s common knowledge that most of Hollywood supported Barack Obama for the presidency. Everyone from will.i.am to the cast of Gossip Girl was getting behind the senator from Illinois. It seemed that Daddy Yankee, the Reggaeton rapper from Puerto Rico, was a lone voice supporting John McCain. (Even if he was unable to vote for him.) That was four years ago. While President Obama’s approval ratings are not as high as what it once was, I still suspect that most celebrities will be in favor of him. Still, I must ask – which celebrities will endorse Mitt Romney?

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You gotta fight!

This is part five of five in my "I'm fucking busy this week" series, where I post a music video each day with a smidgen of commentary. Today's song? A throwback: "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by the Beastie Boys:

Crazy fate

This is part four of five in my "I'm fucking busy this week" series, where I post a music video each day with a smidgen of commentary. Today's song? "Crazy Fate (미친인연)" by e.Via (이비아) featuring ISU (이수):

Barack Obama is not Dick Cheney

Expect to hear more of this shit:

Log Cabin Republicans appreciate that President Obama has finally come in line with leaders like Vice President Dick Cheney on this issue, but LGBT Americans are right to be angry that this calculated announcement comes too late to be of any use to the people of North Carolina, or any of the other states that have addressed this issue on his watch.

The Log Cabin Republicans are total sellouts, but the part where they compared Barack Obama to Dick Cheney was too fucking much.

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News Snap - President Obama endorses same-sex marriage

Good news, everyone:

Please take care?

This is part three of five in my "I'm fucking busy this week" series, where I post a music video each day with a smidgen of commentary. Today's song? "Take Care" by Drake featuring Rihanna. This video was released at the same time as Drake's video for "Hell Yeah Fuckin' Right (HYFR)" featuring Lil' Wayne dropped; I blogged about that here.

Newest FACE

This is part one of five in my "I'm fucking busy this week" series, where I post a music video each day with a smidgen of commentary. Today's song? "FACE" by NU'EST (뉴이스트). Their name stands for "New Established Style and Tempo", which basically makes no sense at all. Anyway, enjoy:

Call me maybe?

This is part one of five in my "I'm fucking busy this week" series, where I post a music video each day with a smidgen of commentary. Today's song? "Call My Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen:

Programming notes

1. Over the course of the next five days, I am unlikely to be updating with as much depth as I usually do. I am considering doing a "music video-a-day" week. We'll see how this turns out. (Basically, I'm just going to be extraordinarily busy.)
2. I am going to actually use my personal Tumblr, located here. Please follow me!
3. François Hollande ousts Nicolas Sarkozy in the race for the French presidency. (Yes, that's the guy who used "Niggas in Paris" in a campaign ad.)

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Wow, ‘Fantastic Baby’!

CROSS-POSTED AT BLIND MOUSE ENTERTAINMENT.


I really enjoy listening to music from around the world. Rapper Illslick, heating up clubs in Thailand? British singer Pixie Lott, gracing airwaves across the pond? French dance artist Tal, topping the iTunes charts in France? I can’t get enough. However, one song has been topping Korean charts for the last 10 weeks, and I think it deserves some recognition in the West: “FANTASTIC BABY” by Korean group BIGBANG.

Why do prominent conservative celebrities suck?

The recent controversy with Ted Nugent underscored an interesting point about the appeal of modern-day conservatism in the United States. While it's quite easy for me to name off quite a few progressive-minded celebrities, I could only think of three main right-wing ones – and they are all outdated.

Ted Nugent speaking on Sen. Obama and Hillary Clinton in '08, causing the most inane interview in cable news history.

"Do women have too many rights?"

A site entitled "Do women have too many rights?", located at TooManyRights.org, has begun to make the rounds on progressive blogs. I decided to check it out. After reading the first sentence, do I really want to continue?

The battle for women’s rights has been taking place for all of human history, and the fight took up steam first and foremost here in the American West.

The battle for women's right "has been taking place for all of human history", but it really started in the past 200 years? Please, use your "B.S. in psychology from Texas A&M University and an M.A. in counseling from Sam Houston State University" to explain that one to me.

A quick thought on Osama bin Laden's death

I posted this last year:

I do not like the idea of people celebrating death. If we criticize those who go out in the streets, chant nationalistic songs, and worship the death of their enemies - then why the hell do we, as Americans, go out in the streets, chant nationalistic songs, and worship the death of their enemies? Celebrating death is nothing to be proud of.

 In lieu of the recent faux-controversy –where Republicans got angry that Democrats were cheering for succeeding on a task that Republicans failed to accomplish– we really need to assess what we are celebrating.

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Link Roundup, 05/02/12

Good night, nurse.

The morality of cheating

My latest:

Dear Fred,
I have a crush on a guy, whom I will call Steve (not his real name). Steve has a girlfriend, whom I will call Julia. They have been in a monogamous relationship for a relatively short time. I am a not friend with Julia; admittedly, I do not really know her too well. I want to go for Steve. Frankly, I am unconcerned with the fact that he is in a relationship, but one of my friends told me that he is off-limits. What do you think?
Sincerely yours,
Adultery-prone Girl

For many people, infidelity is a cut-and-dry situation: cheating is bad in every situation, and abetting this is just as bad. However, I am unconvinced. Is it really your job to be policing someone else’s relationship? 

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Obligatory 'The Dark Knight Rises' new trailer post

After the first two amazing trailers, Warner Bros. has released the third trailer for the third (and final) Batman movie. While the other trailers used much of the same techniques as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight did, the third one uses dispair as a tool: