God, Please Save These Troubled States

All I have to say:

If you didn't see Rage Against The Machine, you missed out. Dearly.

I have goosebumps right now. Typing that. I'm still in a state of shock.

I'll have a more detailed post tomorrow. Suffice to say, I may have a broken rib and I have never sweat so much in my whole life. Or fought so hard to get on the barricade. Or persisted for so long to stay up front. But seeing that band, right then, right there, after a 13 year gap from when I last saw them, meant the goddamn world for me.

Thank you.

Today has been wonderful. I attended dance parties for the following artists:

MSTRKRFT
The Decemberists
Ozomatli

I missed Andrew Bird. Same time as The Decemberists. Major bummer. Not sure what I'm doing for the rest of the night.

I'll have more tonight. And tomorrow morning. Just thought I'd drop you all a line.

Today has been wonderful.

MSTRKRFT dance party. (Have I ever sweat so much in my whole life? I think not.)
Decemberists dance party. And rain. And getting eaten by a whale.
Ozomatli dance party.

Do I sense a theme?

We're wrapping shit up here and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get my friends past security. Yikes.

More tonight and tomorrow.

The Comedians of Comedy are geniuses. Zach Galifinakis (SP?) is my hero for making the best anti-Dane Cook joke I've ever seen. Ever.

Rufus Wainwright is so fucking adorable.

Peeping Tom is soon. Then Bjork. Then a race to see Gogol Bordello and join the gypsy punk revolution.

So fantastic. This rules.

We're at Coachella. It's goddamn hot. Surprise!

Last night was a blast. My friend Daniel picked me up from the office around 2:45pm and we headed off to LAX to intercept our friend Ryan. Antics then included stories of bunkers, Mercedes Hummers, angering those in traffic, and stories of LA.

After making a quick pit stop at Target to get sunblock, pillows, and loufas. (We're a manly bunch, for sure.) I decided to take the boys to Vegan House on Sunset, my new favorite eatery in the fine city of LA. Honestly, the have some fine slabs of vegan seafood that drive my tastebuds wild.

On the way, I gave both Daniel and Ryan an informal and impromptu tour of my vast city. Most people fail to realize how gigantic and sprawling Los Angeles really is. The suburbs stretch from the South Bay up towards the valley and all the way east out towards Pomona. Our drive took us along the urban outlets of Century Boulevard in Inglewood; we drove up Vermont from there.

If you ever come to LA, take Vermont from Hollywood all the way down towards Long Beach; in the span of 30 minutes, you'll cross through atleast 10 separate and individual neighborhoods. The poor. The rich. The underpriveleged and the blessed. The cultural diversity alone is fascinating; Little Filipinotown, Koreatown, MacArthur Park, South LA, Inglewood....amazing.

I think the three of us, who pounded down over $40 of inexpensive vegan food in less than 30 minutes, realized that we wouldn't be eating for a while. We had a long trek ahead of us, out into the desert of Southern California. We made a brief pit stop at my studio, where I packed a few shirts, shorts, swimming trunks, and running gear. Then it was off to Indio.

David Cross was our soundtrack for the first half of the trip and it certainly made the time go by much quicker. Patton Oswalt was next, but we found ourselves in conversation as we came upon our final destination. 

I have pictures of the house we're staying at and, for lack of any better terms, it's 100% ridiculous. A impromptu pool party started and then most of the Buzznet staff and friends were sitting around the jacuzzi. Ryan and I ventured back into pool; invigorating.

We played two rounds of Apples to Apples, the best card game on the face of the planet. If you haven't played it, you're a fool. Plain and simple.

Ryan, Daniel, and I slept in a giant walk-in closet, which was air-conditioned. (Air conditioned closets????) I woke up around 8:30 this morning and went for a 5 mile run on the streets of Indio. It was already about 80 degrees, but a nice breeze kept me cool. As did the swim I took when I got back.

Good breakfast. Rice milk and PB&J. Showers to the Descendents. Life is good.

I'm sitting here in the Buzznet Microcommunity tent, waiting for ice and for our tech guy to set up the TV photo feed for us. The Comedians of Comedy show starts in less than 10 minutes.

Life is good. Many, many more updates to come this year.

True story.

So, next time you guys see anyone who doesn't fit the white American mold, please make sure to call the cops. Homeland Security FTW!

This is a disgusting story. 100% fucked up.

Three men lured another gay man to a meeting place in Brooklyn after having chatting with him online. They planned to rob him when he showed up. However, the man freed himself from the attack. Unfortunately, as he ran away, he was struck by a car and later died.

And the assholes pulled him off the road and searched his pockets for money or drugs. Then left to go get drunk. The man died.

I don't even know what to say.

DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN TONIGHT'S EPISODE. SPOILERS THAT MAY MAKE YOUR HEAD EXPLODE WILL FOLLOW.



BUT SERIOUSLY.
WHAT THE FUCK.
WHAT THE FUCK.
WHAT THE FUCK.
WHAT THE FUCK.

Nevermind learning about who is the father of Sun's baby. (It's Jin.)
Nevermind learning that Sun will probably die.
Nevermind the hints towards Kate being pregnant.
Nevermind Mikhail magically appearing, alive, after having been "killed."
Nevermind the absolute confirmation that the island does indeed heal people.

THEIR PLANE WAS FOUND AND THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS????

I don't even know where to go from here. Are they actually dead? Did The Others "plant" a fake plane to ensure no one would come looking for them? Is the parachutist from Penny's camp?

I can't function as a human being anymore.

stinkydinkerdink:  connect already
panasonicyouth:  Connected!
panasonicyouth:  Sorry, I get inundated with IMs all day.
stinkydinkerdink:  ok
panasonicyouth:  It's rough for them all to connect.
stinkydinkerdink:  yeah
stinkydinkerdink:  ur pic sorta scares me
stinkydinkerdink:  no offense
panasonicyouth:  Haha sweet!
stinkydinkerdink:  i hope u know i am a chic
stinkydinkerdink:  and ur pro says ur atheist well i am a Christian
panasonicyouth:  Oh ok.
stinkydinkerdink:  anyway bye

HAHAHAHA I LOVE IT. NEVER GO AWAY, BUZZNET CHAT.

For the record, if you have a conversation with me, I cannot guarantee that I won't post it. Sorry! That's the risk you take when you IM Mark.

Come on, come all, to the 2007 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival!

And when you do, make sure to stop by the Buzznet tent to say hi to me and all the other staff members.



We'll be hanging out in the Microcommunity tent all day.

The official community page is live! Check it out here for all the real-time updates of the madness of this three day monster fest. (Mostly check it to see how many times I get threatened with getting kicked out.)

For New Wave, out July 10th.

1. New Wave
2. Up The Cuts
3. Thrash Unreal
4. White People For Peace
5. Stop
6. Borne On The FM Waves
7. Piss And Vinegar
8. Americans Abroad
9. Animal
10. Ocean

Hm. I am not a fan.

No really. They did.



IN A BANK! THEY RULE!!!!!!

It's neverending, really.

I must have blogged about Beck...10 times in the past year. He's an easy target, I know. But that's why I feel it's imporant that people record and remember what he's said: When the time comes, everything he's said will come back to bite him in the ass.

Like this:

• CNN Headline News anchor Glenn Beck said tonight that if America withdraws from Iraq, it “would be America’s most shameful act of immorality since slavery,” adding that congressional war opponents are “just plain stupid” and “can’t see the future.”

  Beck claimed that if U.S. forces pull out, a “genocide” will take place that makes Darfur “look like a picnic.” “The blood of the Iraqi children will be on all of our hands,” Beck said.

DARFUR ISN'T A GODDAMN PICNIC. EVER. Do you have any idea how horrific that situation is?

What a douchebag son-of-a-bitch.

Yeah. That's the same stuff that was killing pets. It could be killing you or me!

Not to make light of the situation, though. The FDA is now worried that melamine has entered the human food chain in the form of wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein (!!!!), rice bran, or rice protein.

How did it get here? Contaminated feed that was fed to US hogs.

I'd say it pays to be vegan now, but soy protein is on that list. But I hardly consume processed crap, so I suppose I don't have to worry.

As always, I'll keep you updated.

As if you didn't have enough already:

• The former New York mayor, who leads the 2008 Republican White House race in national polls, said in a speech in New Hampshire on Tuesday night the United States would be safer and fight terrorism more aggressively under a Republican president.

  A Democratic president, he said, would "wave the white flag on Iraq" and take the United States "back to our pre-September 11 attitude of defense," the Politico.com quoted Giuliani as saying.

  While the United States ultimately will prevail in the fight against terror, he said, "the question is how long will it take and how many casualties will we have? If we are on defense, we will have more losses and it will go on longer."

  Giuliani's comments were similar to arguments used by President George W. Bush and other Republicans during the 2004 and 2006 elections.

Glorious. Democrats will cause 9/11 PART DEUX.

Some stunning logic, Rudy.

..........FORTY FUCKING YEARS AGO.

FORTY.

NOT 4 DAYS AGO.
4 MONTHS AGO.
EVEN 4 YEARS AGO.

FORTY.
FUCKING.
YEARS.
AGO.

This absolutely has to be one of the most absurd things I have ever read in my entire existence. I don't understand it. I'm trying to, but none of it is making the slightest bit of sense.

Psychotherapist Andrew Feldmar recently tried to cross into the United States but, after a random Google search of his name turned up a project he had been involved in in 1967, he was barred entrance.

According to the Homeland Security Act, you can't enter the United States if you've used narcotics.

EVER.

How frightening/depressing/maddening. This is the stupidest law I've never heard of.

EVER.

A week. It took a week.

I blogged about a religious activist group that is using the Bible to spread gay-affirming messages through billboards last week. And just a week later, they've already been vandalized and threatened.

Two billboards were defaced. One had "LIE LIE LIE" spraypainted on it, while the other had the word "gay" excised out of "The early church welcomed a gay man. Acts 8:26-40." The second sign has already been repaired. In both cases the vandals would have had to use extension ladders to reach the billboards. Both signs are located in very populated areas.

The church is also distributing thousands of yard signs with the campaign's URL on it as the message - WouldJesusDiscriminate.com. On at least four separate occasions, church members putting out the signs have been shadowed by individuals systematically removing the yard signs behind them in an effort to silence the church's question.

Well, I'm not terribly surprised, to be honest. I expected this. It's definitely what Jesus would want.

Hating the President is so 2004. I mean, seriously, it's pretty much all been said and done by now; if you don't already know that this administration is driving our country into the ground, you're either not paying attention or you're willfully chosing to ignore/distort it. (I'm looking at you, mainstream media outlets.)

Beyond that, sometimes it's just too goddamn easy to point out all the banal or ridiculous nonsense he says or does. Half of it is probably written by other people or originates from different members of his cabinet. So, in that sense, he's very much a figurehead for what he "stands" for. (If that's anything at all.)

Until now. This is just too much.

President Bush said he will veto the upcoming Iraq War Spending Bill because he does not want to agree to a timetable for withdrawal.

"I'm disappointed that the Democratic leadership has chosen this course," Bush said.

"They chose to make a political statement," he said. "That's their right but it is wrong for our troops and it's wrong for our country. To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military commanders."

YOU
SON
OF
A
BITCH

ARE YOU REALLY THAT DENSE? YOU ARE MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT BY REJECTING THE BILL. YOU'RE THE FUCKING PRESIDENT. MEANING THAT 99.9999999% OF EVERYTHING YOU SAY AND DO IS POLITICAL.

"The American people did not vote for failure," he said. "That is precisely what the Democratic leadership's bill would guarantee. It's not too late for Congress to do the right thing."

ARRGGGHHKLJSDFKL;JFDSIOPERLKJFDS #$321$!#$%$%^$%**$?>><$%^!!!!!!

HAVE YOU BEEN TO IRAQ? DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING OVER THERE?

JESUS H CHRIST! SOMEONE JUST BEAT ME OVER THE HEAD. I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS.

Today is a wonderful day in music.

Head on over to the MySpace profile for Pig Destroyer to check out, "Loathsome," the first new song off of Phantom Limbs, which will be released on June 12.

I'm telling you know, just so you know: They are the best grindcore band on the planet. This WILL be one of the best albums of 2007.

This band is so absolutely glorious. It's like melodic tech-punk. (They can play the FUCK out of their guitars and have no problem showing off.)

However, it seemed that they had disappeared off the face of the planet. I really dug Ruiner, but it's been almost 2 years since it came out.

Have no fear! They've already written a new album and will be touring soon!

So I haven't been here in like two months, and I realized that we haven't updated the news in two months either, so here's an update on why you haven't heard from us and might think that we're dead. First of all we're not dead. We've been at home in New Bedford writing our asses off and playing together almost every day. We just finished demoing the first 13 songs in the project studio in Trevors basement, and we're currently working on a bunch of other songs. We figure to have around twenty to choose from for our next record.

Speaking of our next record, in case you were wondering, we are heading back to the Blasting Room to drive Bill and Jason completely insane once again in the beginning of May. So that will hopefully be out by the end of the summer (Or the beginning of summer depending on when when some fucktard leaks it.) "What about touring?" You might be asking yourself. Honestly I don't know. We don't currently have anything booked, but by the time we get out of the studio, I'm sure we'll be eager to get out there and hopefully see the outer reaches of our beloved homeland again. (We realize we haven't toured the U.S. in eight months so get off our back already, Europe and Australia needed some love too.) That's all for now, good talking to you, see you soon. Go listen to Municipal Waste in the mean time.

YES. SO STOKED. And y'all should listen to Municipal Waste.

Today, Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law a domestic partnership bill that extended many rights to gay couples that they did not have before.

It's not full equality, but it's a step.

Hallelujah!

And he does this by asserting that the Virginia Tech tragedy was caused by liberalism. And slutty Halloween costumes.

Ok. Um. The idea is just so absurd that it's natural for any person who appreciates logic and reason to automatically discount such an assertion. But, let's humor Mr. Gingrich, shall we?

• I think the fact is, if you look at the amount of violence we have in games that young people play at 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 years of age, if you look at the dehumanization, if you look at the fact that we refuse to say that we are, in fact, endowed by our creator, that our rights come from God, that if you kill somebody, you're committing an act of evil.

Interesting. I'll make a point that David Cross has made in the past:

What video games was Hitler playing? Mussolini? Stalin? Lenin? Pol Pot?

Secondly, do we need to characterize something as "evil" in order to say it's wrong? Sounds like you're constructing a logically fallacy, Sir Newt.

George Stephanopoulos takes it from here:

• STEPHANOPOULOS:  But what does that have to do with liberalism?
• GINGRICH:  Well, who has created a situation ethics, essentially, zone of not being willing to talk about any of these things.  Let me carry another example.  I strongly supported Imus being dismissed, but I also think the very thing he was dismissed for, which is the use of language which is stunningly degrading of women - the fact, for example, that one of the Halloween costumes this last year was being able to be either a prostitute or a pimp at 10, 11, 12 years of age, buying a costume, and we don't have any discussion about what's happened to our culture because while we're restricting political free speech under McCain-Feingold, we say it's impossible to restrict vulgar and vicious and anti-human speech.

Ok. It's difficult enough to rebut that kind of argument because it's apparent that, while out of the mainstream political arena, Newt Gingrich forgot how to formulate a sentence. Use some fucking periods, dude!

I think that's he's trying to say that liberalism prevents.....open conversation? Relative morals? That slutty Halloween costumes have led to people being so immoral that they choose to shoot down 32 people they went to school with?

I think Newt Gingrich should be friends with this man:


"We can sell our "Jump To Conclusions Mat" together!!!!!!"

I'm not particularly wordy today (probably to the benefit of all of you), but that's ok. Because everything I've chosen to write about is so gloriously in-your-face and direct that anything I add is pretty much superfluous.

I now share with you the wonderful exchange between Karl Rove, Sheryl Crow, and Laurie David at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Laugh. Cry. Applaud. It's rather delightful.

My favorite part:

In his attempt to dismiss us, Mr. Rove turned to head toward his table, but as soon as he did so, Sheryl reached out to touch his arm. Karl swung around and spat, "Don't touch me." How hardened and removed from reality must a person be to refuse to be touched by Sheryl Crow? Unfazed, Sheryl abruptly responded, "You can't speak to us like that, you work for us." Karl then quipped, "I don't work for you, I work for the American people." To which Sheryl promptly reminded him, "We are the American people."

Oh lordy.

A study released today by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation found that one year after college, women working full time earn only 80 percent of what men do. Ten years later, they earn only 69 percent of what men are earning. In addition, "Even as the study accounted for such factors as the number of hours worked, occupations or parenthood, the gap persisted, researchers said."

Nice to know we all live in the land of equal opportunity.

I really wish Trent Reznor would start taking drugs again.

I'll stick to that assertion, as absurd and ludicrous as it is. (Especially considering that I'm straight edge. I realize this is an odd thing to say.)

My rocky love affair with Nine Inch Nails began in the early 90s when my brother first started playing Pretty Hate Machine a few days afer it was released. I'd never heard music that was so abrasive, so angry, yet so processed through electronic fury. Much like a great deal of music he inadvertently handed down to me, I slowly became obsessed.

The Downward Spiril was goddamn immense. I adored The Fragile. But when Reznor and company released With_Teeth a couple of years ago, after a long creative break, something was missing. Why was he suddenly so serene and calm? Some of the songs were good, but they lacked that inherent passion and intensity I'd come to love so much.

Needless to say, I wasn't anticipating Year Zero very much; of course I wanted to hear new songs, but if they were also in the same vein as With_Teeth, I didn't expect to enjoy the album very much.

So, putting all the theatrics and odd internet searches aside, I've been listening to Year Zero for a couple of weeks now. (It's why I've been delaying this review; I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.)

My judgment is now definitive: I enjoy the album, but I wish Reznor was more fucked up again.

I'll explain.

The album opens with, "HYPERPOWER!," an instrumental introduction. A catchy drum line leads way to a full synthetic attack; it's a build-up followed by a deconstruction and models the flow of the album well.

The first full song, "Beginning of The End," feels very much like an extension of With_Teeth; in fact, it sounds like it belongs on that album. Catchy guitar lines and drum beats; the lyrics, however, are a clear departure from what I felt was a trite effort on the previous album.

"Down on your knees, you'll be left behind. This is the beginning. Watch what you think; they can read your mind. This is the beginning."

The political discourse and prophetic themes course through this concept album set 15 years in the future; in 2022, we live in a world where we're controlled by drugs and our own government, all because of what we've done now.

It's a lofty (and pretentious) idea, but I'll say this: It works.

"Survivalism" was an excellent choice for a first single, as it combines the best of his newer, more melodic sense, with the noisy electro-anger of the past. The chaos at the end of the song is ridiculous and a welcome addition to the album.

The first half of the album (16 songs in all!) suffers from lacking both any stand-out melodies or chaotic noise experiments. I do enjoy "The Good Soldier," with it's strangely hypnotic verse vocals, half-spoken in some bizarre melodies. The chorus gives way to some ambient swirls over a looped bass-line; Reznor has never sounded so dreamy.

But is this a good thing? I want to hear Reznor deconstruct himself; I want to hear him tear open his veins and expose the pain within himself. It's what has attracted me to his work over the years. That kind of personal intensity is rare.

I don't feel this intensity until the 7th song, one of the best tracks on the album. "The Capital G," has that personal intensity I was looking for; however, it appears Trent filtered this through a fictional character in his near-apocalyptic future. The song chronicles the thought process of someone who has accepted the status-quo of our political status; beyond that, he actually seems to accept it.

"Well, I used to stand for something. Now I'm on my hands and knees. Trading in my god for this one. He starts his name with a capital "G". I don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala; don't really see what all the fuss is about. Ain't gonna worry 'bout no future generations..."

From there, the album alternates between some of the catchiest NIN songs to ever be penned, as well as some of the creepiest.  "God Given" encapsulates both; the almost-dance laden beat, coupled with a some bizarre vocal melodies make for a captivating song. Both "The Greater Good" and "Another Version of The Truth" use instrumental atmospheres of muted beats, pianos, and pianos to build the ominous nature of what is to come.

What's to come are three ridiculously fantastic songs: "The Great Destroyer," which opens with a hard, pulsing rhythm, turns into a near electro-pop song as soon as Reznor starts...singing. Yep. The entire song features some of my favorite clean vocals by Reznor, as well as a triple harmony chorus-ender halfway through the song. That then breaks into some beat-heavy chaotics. I'm sold.

"In This Twilight" is just flat-out creepy and the band returns to ambient and dreamy atmospherics to suggest a twilight revelation. But the album's closer, "Zero Sum," is a monumental achievement for NIN; it's a slow exercise in almost trip-hop beats, spoken word, and a gospel-inspired chorus:

"Shame on us; doomed from the start. May God have mercy on our dirty little hearts. Shame on us, for all we have done. And all we ever were, just zeros and ones."

It's there; you have to search for it, but Reznor appears to finally be angry about something. You know me; I'm a nut for political music and I really enjoy the intricate story Reznor has crafted.

I have to admit; I will always miss the drug-induced, self-depricating musings of a man who felt lost and pointless. There's something I can intrinsically relate to in nearly all of his previous work. (Hence why I originally stated I want him to go back to doing drugs.)

But that's a completely irrelevant and shallow point, after having given this album some time. I really do enjoy it, both for what it says and what it sounds like. It's a bit hit or miss for me (more hit), but when the band is on, FUCK! They are on!

Get into it. Give the album some time. Don't skip any tracks. Allow yourself to enter the future, to approach Year Zero. Lulled into a sense of security, you'll find yourself unnerved with a strange feeling in the back of your mind:

What if he's right?

I understand that as I’m getting older, I’m getting more paranoid. But I just can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me. Just watching over my every move. I just can’t shake it. Somebody’s watching. I can feel it.

Why watch me, I wonder? What’s so interesting about me that requires I be watched? Maybe somebody is watching everybody.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid. What do you think? Is anyone watching you?

[Crossposted from both Shakesville and William K. Wolfrum. Sometimes, someone else just does it better than I possibly can. This is one of those cases.]

I am ecstatic to pass along the news that the Oregon Senate has passed along an LGBT protection bill to their governor to sign into law.

The law will make it illegal to discriminate in employment, housing, and public accomodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Oregon: My hat is off to you.

Seriously, if you go to Tippacanoe High School and your Presidential Pep Rally hasn't happened yet, please exercise your First Amendment rights and ask President Bush if he actually believes what he's saying.

Why does this matter? Because, in another effort to boost his ratings and push his party line even further down our throats, Bush is taking his "Death and Destruction" tour on the road!

Tomorrow, he's in Michigan at East Grand Rapids High School. And he's sure to continue his efforts to scare the daylights out of us about Iraq.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Mark Steyn.
John Derbyshire.
Michelle Malkin.
Nathaniel Blake.

You are the total scum of the earth. Everyone will know that.

Mark Steyn:  But this awful corrosive passivity is far more pervasive, and, unlike the psycho killer, is an existential threat to a functioning society.

This was in regards to reports that no one "fought back" against the Virginia Tech gunman.

John Derbyshire:  As NRO's designated chickenhawk, let me be the one to ask: Where was the spirit of self-defense here? Setting aside the ludicrous campus ban on licensed conceals, why didn't anyone rush the guy? It's not like this was Rambo, hosing the place down with automatic weapons. He had two handguns for goodness' sake—one of them reportedly a .22. Yes, yes, I know it's easy to say these things: but didn't the heroes of Flight 93 teach us anything? As the cliche goes—and like most cliches. It's true—none of us knows what he'd do in a dire situation like that. I hope, however, that if I thought I was going to die anyway, I'd at least take a run at the guy.

Michelle Malkin:  Enough is enough, indeed. Enough of intellectual disarmament. Enough of physical disarmament. You want a safer campus? It begins with renewing a culture of self-defense—mind, spirit, and body. It begins with two words: Fight back.

Nathaniel Blake:  College classrooms have scads of young men who are at their physical peak, and none of them seems to have done anything beyond ducking, running, and holding doors shut. Meanwhile, an old man hurled his body at the shooter to save others.

Something is clearly wrong with the men in our culture. Among the first rules of manliness are fighting bad guys and protecting others: in a word, courage. And not a one of the healthy young fellows in the classrooms seems to have done that.

When Kip Kinkle opened fire in Thurston High School a few years back, he was taken down by students, led by one who was already wounded. Why didn’t that happen here?

Like Derb, I don’t know if I would live up to this myself, but I know that I should be heartily ashamed of myself if I didn’t. Am I noble, courageous and self-sacrificing? I don’t know; but I should hope to be so when necessary.

So what would you have rather heard? That men ripped off their shirts and used brute strength to rip the shooter's limbs from his torso? That they then consumed his flesh in a rabid display of macho security, crying out to the Gods of Patriarchial Dominance, "I AM MAN! HEAR ME ROAR!"?

Even if they had done this, people still would have died. Lives would be torn apart. But would you feel better about our "society of wusses" then?

Well, guess what, you repugnant assholes? They DID fight back.

There is absolutely nothing I can say that can properly express my extreme distaste for these four individuals. You are simply the scum of the earth and hopefully, people will soon begin to realize this.

SPOILERS AHEAD. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE.



Desmond-centric episode. And holy hell, what a doozy.

There's so much I want to know now!

Who is the girl who fell to the island? Did Penny send her?
Why was the "mysterious" old woman from Desmond's last episode in the photo on the desk with the monk?
Is Desmond really supposed to let Charlie die?

This episode further solidified the idea that Desmond has a very specific destiny and a very specific reason to be on the island. But what is it?

Next week is a Jin and Sun-centric episode. They'll reveal the father of Sun's baby and deal with the new addition to the island.

I love reading about a company's ridiculous policy shooting them in the foot. And this case is just too good:

Sony's DRM on DVDs is actually breaking DVD players, including Sony DVD players.

Absolutely, without a doubt, 100% hysterical.

When are you going to learn, Sony, that I should have full consumer rights to do as I please with the product I purchase from you? I should be able to play your goddamn DVD on whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want.

Sigh.

Crucial linkage ahead.   

So, I realize the circus surrounding this is already going overboard. But I found both of these "new" developments in the whole story to be pretty interesting.

First off, the Associated Press is reporting that Cho Seung-Hiu has been accused of stalking two female students back in 2005.

The full story is really, really long. (Paginate, Yahoo? Please?) You can read it here.

The other development is the screenplays AOL News published last night.

You can read them as well. They're pretty violent and gnarly, so be forewarned.

Partial Birth abortions are now illegal.

And I'm going to be completely honest. I can't, for the life of me, decipher what the hell this means. I have read this Yahoo article about 7 times. Nothing.

So, while I'll inform you of what happened, I'm not going to formulate an opinion just yet. Someone tell me the significance of this.

You may think this is kinda pathetic, but I'd rather be honest than have an uninformed opinion.

Go!

It's been far too long since I dissected someone else's logic.

The last time I wrote about Michael Medved was when he publicly supported Tim Hardaway's homophobia. This time around, he's decided to attack public transportation.

Now, I am quite the fan of public transportation. I've been using it since I was 16. I don't own a car and I don't ever plan to. Living here in the lovely city of LA has made such a dream entirely possible: my studio apartment is one block west of a subway entrance. Buzznet's offices are a 6 block walk and a 12 minute ride on the Red Line. Most of the major bus lines run 24 hours, including the one right in front of my place.

I take the bus/train/subway out of my own volition; it saves me money. I don't have to feel like a hypocrite when I oppose our dependence on oil and simultaneously fill a gas tank. Plus, it's goddamn fun. So much interesting shit happens on the bus! (SEE: Many blog entries from early 2006 for a whole slew of Metro Bus stories I posted.)

But then there are people like Michael Medved, who seem to know exactly why I take the bus:

• Did you know that there were more people using mass transit during the ‘40’s and early ‘50’s than there are today? I most certainly did not. This is an astonishing revelation when you think about it.

  First of all, the population of the country was barely half what it is today—and yet more people rode mass transit.

  Moreover, during the last 50 years we’ve poured literally hundreds of billions of dollars into the most expensive, glitzy, ambitious mass transit projects in history--- BART in San Francisco, MARTA in Atlanta, MetroRail in LA, plus impressive new projects in Minneapolis, Portland and Washington DC, and nearly everywhere else. With all these elaborate new systems, with high-tech buses, with propaganda about global warming and government policies designed to force you out of your car, it’s astonishing to think that more people used mass transit when America had half the people it has today – and none of the high-tech, new rapid transit systems.

There's a reason there is a sudden growth. I'll get to that when I later refute your assinine observations. But I love how you absolutely have to assert that global warming propaganda forced me out of my car.

I didn't have one to begin with. And what shithole, middle-of-nowhere town are you from? Have you ever been to LA? You can see the smog sitting sullenly over the downtown area or over LAX or over the Westside or over the Valley or over East LA or over....you get the idea. No one needs to spread any propaganda about it; we see it all the time.

Also, I find it interesting he doesn't include New York, which as the best transit system on the whole planet.

• Of course, many social planners and environmentalists want us give up all those gas guzzlers and get back on the bus like we did fifty years ago. But the change in automobile ownership still gives some indication of the vast distance traveled by ordinary Americans in their journey toward wealth, choices, and personal freedom.

  Despite the endless whining to the effect that “we’ve never had it so bad,” the number of citizens who own their own homes has soared from barely 50% in 1950 to 70% today, and the typical home itself is more than 50% larger than fifty years ago. In 1950, 24% of homes didn’t have flush toilets, and less than 2% had air conditioning. Today, virtually 100% of the places we live enjoy flush toilets (what a relief) and more than 80% of homes boast air conditioning.

Oh, I see what argument/strawman you're building. Carry on.

• It would be easy to continue in this vein, but you surely get the idea: in terms of options, conveniences, comforts, material blessings, opportunities, no generation in the history of the world has lived as lavishly as this generation of Americans.

And with obviously no negative effect on our social consciousness, our natural environment, or our good will. It's all great, awesome, super, stupendous!

• I recently spent a weekend in Louisville, Kentucky and ended up staying in the same Hyatt hotel as literally hundreds of competitors in a National Indoor Archery Championship. Normal middle class Americans traveled from every corner of the map, carrying their high tech bows in formidable cases – as if they were toting cellos or French horns. Somehow, these ordinary salt-of-the-earth folk could travel to Louisville, stay in a gorgeous hotel, and pursue a sport that they loved with amazingly complicated and ingenious rigs for putting arrows into targets.

You know, you can do exactly that without owning a car. Taxis? Shuttles? Airplanes? And I'm an "ordinary salt-of-the-earth folk" just like them! GOSH DARN, SHUCKS!

Medved then goes on to describe more awesome things we can do. Once again, all can be done without owning a car.

• For many of us, it’s worth the effort to try to defend these astonishing, unprecedented opportunities. It isn’t necessarily good news that so-called “environmentalists” and various governmental planners have succeeded in driving more Americans onto mass transit than any time in the last fifty years. Giving up your car and getting on the bus may win commendation from Al Gore, but it does represent a lowered standard of living: sacrificing the independence of taking your own wheels to work. Fifty years ago, mom and dad or grandpa and grandma understand that a country that enabled more people to drive their own cars was a country with a rising living standard; today, as liberals try to push people out of those cars, they ought to be honest enough to acknowledge that they’re talking about lowering living standards.

  The left argues that the threat of global climate change requires precisely such diminished levels of comfort and opportunity, but when people comes to understand these long-term goals they’ll hardly see the reduced array of choices for ordinary Americans as a development that’s actually worth celebrating.

And this is where any restraint I had flies out the window.

Once again, HAVE YOU EVER STEPPED OUTSIDE? BEEN IN TRAFFIC? VISITED A BIG CITY? Ever? Ever in your life?

Did it ever occur to you that our constant attempts to out-do ourselves, this end result of total independence, has actually enslaved us?

Think about it. You claim a car gives you "independence." Independence from what? You have to buy gas. You have to buy insurance. You have to buy parts and pay for any repairs that may happen.

You have to deal with traffic. Lots of it. And terrible drivers. Delays. Detours. Accidents. Distractions.

I pay $54 a month for a pass. I mostly take the subway, meaning I never have to deal with traffic. Delays are INCREDIBLY rare. When I take the bus, I merely sit back, enjoy a book or some music on my iPod. I'm free to move about and stretch if I need to. And hell, sometimes I get to my ultimate destination faster than a car can.

We have busses that have their own lane on the freeway.
We have busses that can control traffic lights.
I can take Amtrak or Metrolink for destinations all over the US (though I routinely use it for cities out of Metro's service area).

Don't have to worry about gas.
Insurance.
Repairs.

So tell me, Michael Medved, who is the one who's truly free?

Tommy Thompson is a current GOP presidential candidate. (He also used to be the governor of Wisconsin.) During a speech last night at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, he said the following:

“I’m in the private sector and for the first time in my life I’m earning money,” Republican hopeful and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson said Monday. “You know that’s sort of part of the Jewish tradition.”



After being made aware that his remarks were problematic, Thompson returned to the podium and told the several hundred activists assembled, “I just want to clarify something because I didn’t in any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things. What I was referring to ladies and gentlemen is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion and the Jewish people. You have been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that and if anybody took what I said wrong, I apologize."



"I may have mischaracterized it. You are very successful. I applaud you for that.”




“The governor has apologized. There was no malice, and he has apologized for what he said.” So, what did he mean, exactly? “He was complimenting the Jewish community for their accomplishments, and talking about financially, educationally, and as a community.”



Rest in peace, Tommy Thompson.

Not literally. Though the Bible can make a good weapon, I suppose.

Pam's House Blend has an alternatively fascinating and exciting story about one church's quest to change the Christian community's collective mind about homosexuality:

By proving that the Bible doesn't disapprove of homosexuality.

They're doing this through the use of billboards throughout Indianapolis (which soon will spread to other cities).

The billboards themselves:





HOLY HELL THOSE RULE!

Seriously, this is so goddamn awesome. I love it!

And I also guarantee that you won't hear a thing about this in any of the major media outlets as well.

The news that gays are being executed in increasingly alarming numbers is frightening to someone like myself.

The bodies have been found tortured, mutilated - sometimes with signs of rape," said Mustafa Salim, spokesman for the Rainbow for Life Organisation (RLO), a Baghdad-based gay rights NGO.

"Notes were found near some of the bodies with messages saying that this is going to be the fate for any Muslim who denies the Islamic religion," Salim added.

"The gay community continues to be subjected to systematic terror by Shia militias, especially the Mahdy Army controlled by the religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The government of Iraq is refusing to offer protection," he added.

In an interview, one member of the Mahdy Army, Ali Hassany, said that the militia will target Iraq's gays and lesbians. "They deserve death. Those people are an embarrassment to our society. Killing such people is a job for their families, but if they cannot do so by their own hands, we will do it," Hassany said.

And I thought that I had problems coming out in a conservative neighborhood.

I digress. This is not about my own experience or my own problems. This is about a practice that is so deeply disturbing to me; is this what we're liberating Iraqis for? So that they can continue to live in fear?

Yeah. We're definitely creating democracy around the world.

This will be a comprehensive guide to all of the initial responses to this story and how completely fucking ridiculous people are. Or insightful. Or apathetic.

Let's just start off with the most offensive one:

• The Westboro Baptist Church will protest at the funeral of each and every person who died in the massacre. Their reasoning? You describe this as monumental horror, but you know nothing of horror -- yet. Your bloody tyrant Bush says he is 'horrified' by it all. You know nothing of horror -- yet. Your true horror is coming.  "They shall also gird themselves with sackloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads" (Eze. 7:18). 

  Why did this happen, you ask? It's simple. Your military chose to shoot at the servants of God today, and all they got for their effort was terror. Then, the LORD your God sent a crazed madman to shoot at your children. Was God asleep while this took place? Was He on vacation? Of course not. He willed this to happen to punish you for assailing His servants.

Well. That's certainly an interesting position to take. And an intelligent one as well!

Motherfuckers be drinkin' the crazy juice! (And I won't link back to Phelps' site. You can find it if you want, but I'm not giving that asshole anymore traffic.)

• "Copycat Effect" author Loren Coleman has a fascinating (albeit disturbing) entry in his blog where he asserts that he both "predicted" this attack and predicts that there will be copycat incidents in the future.

While I certainly agree that a pattern is emerging, in regards to the increasing violence and death tolls that these attacks create, I think his entry comes off as a tad bit arrogant.  I think, just considering the odds, someone was going to "outdo" an previous efforts. Still, I don't want to belittle the entry itself, as I think he makes a lot of great points.

• LiveJournal has been all the buzz as users believed they had discovered the identity of the shooter before it was publicly released today. 23 year old Wayne Chiang attends Virginia Tech and has an inclination to post about his love for guns and mopey entries about lost love and the pointlessness of life. He posted a response to the speculation last night:  Coming out. I am not the shooter. Through this experience, I have received numerous death threats, slanderous accusations, and my phone is out of charge from the barrage of calls. Local police have been notified of the situation.

  My original intention was to wait until I got AdSense on my site and donating all the proceeds to Charity. However, this situation has now spiraled out of control. I am now confirming that I am not the shooter. I will be available for interview by a news agency to clear my name, talk about the experience, and give my opinion on how the situation could have turned out better if other students were allowed to be armed.

  I will speak with individuals who are interested in donating to charities resulting from today's events. Please e-mail all correspondence to null@vt.edu

Well, atleast he's got a great attitude about the whole thing. Minus the whole, "...the situation could have turned out better if other students were allowed to be armed," thing, of course.

• I don't have a Facebook account, so I can't link this, but there is now a Facebook group from Dateline NBC for friends of the accused. It appears the media parade is now coming into full swing, about 24 hours later. Click here and scroll to the bottom for the Facebook link.  The text for the ad reads:   WE UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT THIS IS, AND WANT TO HELP SHARE YOUR STORY.... DATELINE NBC URGENTLY LOOKING FOR ANYONE WHO KNEW SEUNG HUI CHO. WE HAVE PRODUCERS AND CAMERA CREWS NEARBY READY TO TALK TO ANYONE WHO CAN SUPPLY INFORMATION ABOUT HIM AND HIS MOVEMENTS LEADING UP TO THE TRAGEDY. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO PRODUCE A THOUGHTFUL AND INFORMATIVE REPORT THAT MIGHT SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE TRAGEDY AND POSSIBLY HELP PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

I love that NBC uses all caps. That totally makes them seem professional.

Am I the only one who doesn't believe their "sincerity" at all?

As promised, I'm going to do my best to keep y'all covered on this story.

The suspected gunman who killed 31 people at Virginia Tech University is Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 year-old English major.

What else do we know? (And why do we care?)

Nearly every media outlet is fixating on his South Korean heritage, feeling the need to mention it almost every chance they get. (I'd be willing to bet that the racist comments will soon follow and FOXNews will be a great source of that.)

In addition, as this specific Yahoo outlines, Seung-Hui's "creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school's counseling service." In addition, "he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic, and that he left a note in his dorm in which he railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus."

Do you think that he exhibited warning signs? The web's speculating that he was a loner. But really, that's all any of this is: speculation. I hesitate to make a single conclusion myself; it's dangerous to try and figure this out.

I'll post another blog about the major responses to this story in a few minutes. But feel free to discuss this.

This story is heartbreaking, terrifying, and disgusting.

We know he's killed 30 people, in between shots fired at a dorm and at a classroom.



I know the reports are pouring in and there's going to be a lot of discussion, so I figured I'd help facilitate one here on Buzznet.

I want to know how you guys feel. Are you affected by this? Do you feel this will re-ignite the gun control debate? Why would someone possibly do this?

Please play nicely.

Chicago's melodic punk act, Much The Same, has lost their vocalist.

His statement:

The thing that attracted me to punk rock in the first place was the idea that I could live my life on my own terms, doing what makes me happy no matter what other people thought I should do. For many years, that meant being in a band and living the life I always dreamed about. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to pursue success in this industry without compromising your values, your interests, your music, and your personality. For years, everything I've done and said has been calculated based on what effect it would have on our band, and that is a tough way to live when your natural inclination is to tell people what you really think and play music you love while answering to no one. Essentially, being in a punk band has stripped me of the freedom I originally found in punk rock to begin with. Even in leaving this band, I've struggled with the disappointment many of our fans will have with my decision, but I can't live to please others anymore.

What an insane bummer. I blogged about Much The Same at the beginning of the year, when they made #9 on my Top 10 albums of 2006. Since then, I've probably listened to Survive about 100 times. Maybe more. Gunner's voice is really what makes the band.

The vocalist from Counterpunch is currently holding down the reigns until they find a permanent vocalist. And that person has some gnarly shoes to fill.

That headline.

Ok, first, I wasn't surprised. It's Texas. They aren't known for their "progressive" values.

But the justification. Seriously. Try to understand this.

“What I’ve decided to focus on in my testimony is students who have come to me and talked to me and say they feel robbed because they do not have the Bible knowledge to understand the literature,” Dr. Darci Hill, an assistant professor in the department of English at Sam Houston told the committee.

Robbed. They feel robbed.

So, Texas may require Bible courses in high school to prevent this distinct disadvantage in college.

A question for all those college-bound, in college, or done with upper education: Did you really feel that you were "robbed" in college because you weren't taught the Bible in high school?

I have a feeling the answer isn't going to be something Dr. Darci Hill will enjoy.

Because surely my frequent participation in marches and my constant criticism of President Bush means I'm a danger to other passengers, right?

Professor Walter F. Murphy, emeritus of Princeton University, learned that is exactly how he was treated. Pam's House Blend and Balkin are both reporting this terrifying incident of discrimination against someone simply because they don't agree with our President.

In his own words:

"On 1 March 07, I was scheduled to fly on American Airlines to Newark, NJ, to attend an academic conference at Princeton University, designed to focus on my latest scholarly book, Constitutional Democracy, published by Johns Hopkins University Press this past Thanksgiving."

"When I tried to use the curb-side check in at the Sunport, I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list. I was instructed to go inside and talk to a clerk. At this point, I should note that I am not only the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence (emeritus) but also a retired Marine colonel. I fought in the Korean War as a young lieutenant, was wounded, and decorated for heroism. I remained a professional soldier for more than five years and then accepted a commission as a reserve office, serving for an additional 19 years."

"I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: "Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that." I explained that I had not so marched but had, in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution. "That'll do it," the man said. "

"After carefully examining my credentials, the clerk asked if he could take them to TSA officials. I agreed. He returned about ten minutes later and said I could have a boarding pass, but added: "I must warn you, they're going to ransack your luggage." On my return flight, I had no problem with obtaining a boarding pass, but my luggage was "lost." Airlines do lose a lot of luggage and this "loss" could have been a mere coincidence. In light of previous events, however, I'm a tad skeptical."

As he should be.

Is this how a dissenting citizen should be treated? Even one who already served his country?

Yippee, Wal Mart. I really couldn't be anymore excited for you than I am now.

Really. I can't.

I'm trying.

Not possible.

See?



Congrats on taking over the world, Wal Mart.

This is a lovely story.

After three hours of debate, the committee voted 27-15 to make gay marriage legal in Connecticut.

The best part? State Rep. Beth Bye (D) openly talked about her same-sex relationship:

As tears rolled down her cheeks, Bye told members of the committee how her deeply religious father has come to accept and support her gay lifestyle and her partner. ‘My father, a devout Catholic, … has moved on this issue because he loves his daughter. He thinks of me as married,’ said Bye. ‘The broader world does not see me as married.’ Her voice shaking, Bye explained how, on her partner’s pension documents, she has been listed as ‘Other’ because she didn’t fit into any of the traditional legal categories. ‘I don’t want to be ‘Other,” insisted Bye, ‘I want to be married.’

OH MAN. THAT IS SO AWESOME.

Pass the Bill, Connecticut! Take your place in history as being part of those first few states who supported the civil rights of homosexuals!

Don Imus has been fired.

CBS dropped his ass. Thank you, Lord-I-Don't-Believe-In-But-Refer-To-For-Rhetorical-Purposes.

Now, can we also get rid of Glenn Beck?

I simply don't understand this. At all.

Prime Minister John Howard wants to make it illegal for any person with HIV to immigrate to Australia.

A disease. You can't move there because of a disease. What the hell?

But you know what's even more disturbing?

Many countries, including the United States, impose restrictions on immigration and visa approvals for people with HIV, though there are often exceptions in special cases.

WAIT. WHAT??? WE ALREADY DO THIS?????

My mouth literally dropped open while reading this story. I haven't been this....shocked....in a long time.

A woman in Ontario, Canada purchased the following couch and, unfortunately, had to explain to her daughter what this meant:



WHAT
THE
FUCK.

How???? How does this happen????

Goddamn. Keep your eyes peeled.

The FDA reported this morning that there are still products tainted with poisonous gluten products on the shelves in the U.S.

What should you look out for, oh Buzznet user?

Menu Foods is the company. Here are the products, which are canned food and wet food pouches. (No dry foods):

-Proctor & Gamble's Iams and Eukanuba.
-Wal Mart generic
-Safeway generic
-Colgate-Palmolive Co.'s Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc.
-Nestle SA's Purina PetCare Co.
-Del Monte Pet Products

Pay attention and be careful! Stay informed and keep your pets safe.

Who does he give promotions to?

His girlfriend.

The man who so famously designed/authorized/worshipped the idea of a pre-emptive strike against countries that we could economically and politically benefit from has apologized for promoting an employee and raising her pay. Because he's dating her.

Now quit the goddamn World Bank, dude. And disappear. I'm sick of you affecting other people's lives.

You know, I was having a really good morning today. Goddamn, this is such a bummer.

One of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, passed away last night. He was 84.

I first read Slaughterhouse-Five when I was a freshman in high school. To be frank, I'd read nothing like it in my entire life. It was fucked up. It was bizarre. But it's assualt on war, it's dabbling in four-dimensional metaphysics and science, and it's wholly original style captured me.

I've since decided that Cat's Cradle is probably my favorite book of his. I'm still on a mission to read the rest of his writings.

He'd also been openly political for most of his public life. With his death, we've lost a great mind and a fantastic author.



You'll be missed.

PS: I've got to do this right.

Kurt is in heaven now.

SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE.



HOLY.
HELL.

WHAT
THE
FUCK

OH
MY
GOSHDARN.

Last night was one of the best episodes of the season. SO MANY ANSWERED QUESTIONS!!

Where do I start?

The Others have been experimenting on pregnant mothers.
It's why they were injecting Claire in Season 1. They believed she was going to die like every mother had on the island who had become pregnant.
Ethan had kidnapped Claire.
No one on the island had ever gotten cancer until Ben got a tumor.
Ben can apparently "cure" people who have cancer, as he did to Juliet's sister. (If we believe this is true.)
The Others have real-time communication with the mainland and can travel back and forth from the island to the US as they please. (Well, not anymore.)
The Others gave Claire an "implant" that faked her symptoms. Does that mean that those who are pregnant before they come on the island are exempt from the pregnancy curse?

But most importantly:
JULIET IS A FUCKING BITCH!
What's going to happen in a week? (Ben said that he'd see Juliet "in a week" right before she was going to be gassed.)

OH MAN. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD PLOT TWIST.

Next week is gonna rule! Only 5 episodes left!!!!

Man, I really do love reading stories like this. Gives me a little hope that kids still care about their world.

I think that the protest against using school gear produced from sweatshops is respectable enough; not too many people are conscientious enough to even recognize what a travesty it is to support sweatshops or companies that use them.

But, beyond that, a group of USC students have decided to ignore the existence of "Free Speech Zones," which generally are boxes outlined on campus where protesting can happen.

It's a university! I'm stoked these students realize that "Free Speech Zones" are absurd.

I hope this will get more press as well. I'll keep a lookout.

So, unless you live under a media rock, you've probably heard about the Don Imus controversy. (He made an incredibly racist comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team.)

He apologized. He was suspended for two weeks.

His defense?

“While acknowledging that it was not ‘OK’ for him to refer to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as ‘nappy-headed hos,’ Don Imus said…the phrase ‘originated in the black community.’ Specifically, he stated: ‘I may be a white man, but I know that … young black women all through that society are demeaned and disparaged and disrespected … by their own black men and that they are called that name.’”

Holy.
Hell.

I'd normally say something like, "He can't possibly be serious," but, knowing his past record for constantly opening his mouth and spewing ridiculous bullshit, I know he's not lying.

So, Don Imus, does that make it ok for you to say "faggot" because it originated in the gay community? Or any other amount of racial slurs because, essentially, someone else said it too?

What an idiot.

Jeb Bush?

Really?

Ok, I understand he's your governor and all....but he's not even dead yet.

Does anyone else find this incredibly odd?

Yeah. You read that right.

Tufts University now offers a class - The Future is "Lost": Economic, Social, and Technological Impact of a Cult (and Cultural) Phenomenon - once a week to discuss the various philosophical and intellectual issues that show brings up.

Seriously. Sign me up.



PS: OMGZ LOST IS ON TONIGHT.

Two record store owners, after having suffered from a closure themselves, claim it's the music industry who killed the record.

Check out this NY Times editorial published a few days ago; it pretty much sums up my feelings on the current state of the music industry.

But I want to know: Do you agree? Did the music industry shoot themselves in the foot?

Holy hell, this is so creepy.

Wired.com and BoingBoing are both reporting that the NYPD had an RNC Intelligence Squad "...which had been traveling around the country infiltrating progressive groups and building secret files on potential rabble-rousers ahead of the convention." (The Republican National Convention back in 2004.)

Spying. They were spying on people who didn't support a Republican majority.

You should be terrified.

Because, based on faulty logic, he plans to veto any attempts by the California legislature to pass a bill legalizing marriage equality.

When Prop 22 passed, I wasn't surprised. But I also wasn't very happy. Don't get me wrong; I have no desire to get married, as I think it's an archaic institution. Plus, I'm a bitter asshole and I'm convinced I'll be alone forever. Blah blah blah.

But this is a fundamental civil rights issue both for me and for the hundreds of thousands of other citizens it affects. (Note: None of those people are the right-wing or the religious who believe that their marriage won't mean anything if I one day decide to get married, too.)

Here's Arnold's faulty logic: He claims "the will of the people" already rejected gay marriage rights when they passed the anti-gay Prop 22.

But is that really the "will of the people"? Or is it the "will of the majority of some people from nearly 7 years ago"?

I'd go with the latter, but, even rejecting that, civil rights should not be decided by a popular vote. If that's the case, should we leave it up to the general population to decide where racial discrimination is illegal?

That's the whole goddamn purpose of this type of government, right? To decide what's best for all the citizens who reside? You've already taken away any semblance of a direct, democratic vote, so why give it back?

History has shown us that, time and time again, people won't truly care about the rights of others. They won't care if it doesn't affect them.

Now it's time to show them they should care.

Jose Padilla, one of the most publicly flouted prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, has had a recent appeal rejected; his trial will continue.

Padilla's lawyers claim that the charges against their client should be dismissed because of the terrible treatment he has received from the US government and they also fear (rightly so) that the confessions procured from Padilla under duress will be used against him.

Why is this significant? Why does it matter?

I don't necessarily agree with the judge's ruling on a legal basis; if she had dismissed the charges, it would have set a legal precendent to grant amnesty to anyone who was mistreated while being held by the US government, regardless of whether they were guilty or not. They shouldn't be mistreated, but that doesn't mean they should be let off the hook.

However, while the U.S. may be breathing a sigh of relief, things may not be so easy for them when trial time arrives. The prosecution is going to have to use evidence from Padilla's interrogations. I imagine the defense is going to bring up this issue again.

I'll keep you guys posted.