An Intervention for The GOP

With the caucuses almost upon us I have become very scared for what is going to happen in this upcoming election. How did the Newt even come to the front of this race? For so long the race has been who is the most righteous and scientifically backwards. Now it seems the republicans want to get back to the glory days of multiple divorces and shady back-room deals with wall street. Obama will basically win by default if the Newt wins the primary. He is a dirty old man that is more full of himself than Dennis Rodman. I just don't think that America is ready to blindly elect another president. After Bush and Obama I think that Americans are going to think long and hard about the repercussions of their actions. Stewart's "intervention" is hilarious, but it is also correct. How is Newt coming out on top even with all this hate coming from the conservatives? This was the year of the conservative for sure and now it seems that they have all but died out. I blame Michele Bachmann. She had to get all crazy on us and she scared the people away. What the GOP should have hit us with first was the subdued crazy of Newt and worked their way up the ladder until they got to Rick Perry. He also wouldn't be a good president, but it seemed like the right wing liked him the most.

Article: Jon Stewart holds intervention for GOP

A Rant About Tim Tebow

I really just hate this guy. Not because he is a bigger televangelist than Joel Osteen, not because he has more bandwagon fans than the bruins, and not because he's making way more money than me (well maybe that). I hate Tim Tebow because he isn't a normal human being. He is a real life Buddy the Elf. He's always happy, always being friendly, and never blaming anybody. At least Buddy got upset when his dad said he hated him. Tebow just puts it in the back of his mind and works hard. Normally I would respect that, but the way Tebow goes about it is pathetic. Hey Tim, did you ever think that maybe the reason you have all those haters isn't because they are jealous or dumb it's because you are a miserable quarterback. Tebow throws like a pop warner football player it's pathetic, and on his endless crusade to get the most bandwagon fans in America there has been an excellent defense to hold his opponents to under twenty points which seems to be his score limit. According to Allen Barra, "In only one game during the Broncos’ much publicized six-game winning streak have they scored more than 25 points, and in four of them they’ve scored 17 or less." I'm glad the pats shut him down. He's a joke without a running game. Once he gets too old to scramble the way he does, his career is over. I hope he went home and cried like LeBron after losing the NBA finals. I wish Jesus would have his second coming just to tell this guy that god doesn't decide who wins football games (even though it seems like a miracle when one of his passes hits the correct teammate). That's not to say that Tebow doesn't work damn hard, but he really wouldn't have to work so damn hard in the pocket if he didn't throw like a fourth grader. This guys a bum I just hope that a Tebow jersey doesn't show up under anyones Christmas tree because if I see one in school my head will explode.


Article:  Don’t fall for Tebow

Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 8-12

            I have reached chapter twelve in Bless Me, Ultima and I have to say I have lost interest. The action has picked up, but I have dropped out. The whole book seems to be about how Antonio will someday decide what he wants to be when he grows up, and I am not a huge fan of the classic coming of age tale no matter how mystical it is. I still believe that Antonio will grow up to be a male version of Ultima. That would explain why Ultima takes Antonio to cure Maria's little brother she knows he will come to question his faith and not just go with the flow. I'm not saying that it's right to make someone question their faith, but Ultima just wants to make sure Toni is his own person. Another reason why my prediction will come true is the part about the golden carp. Only a select few people can see the golden carp. This is just like in The Giver where only Jonas can see colors, making him the next in line to be the giver. I'm having a hard time picturing the setting as well. Even though it is World War II era Antonio's family doesn't have the basic technology of the time. For now I will be picturing the town and surrounding area as a wild west type setting. I fear that now that because I am not interested in this book I won't be looking for the writing techniques as much because I will just want to get through, but march on I shall. Walter Elliott once said, "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." And like Elliott said I need to look at the book as a bunch of little chapters and not one long section to read.

Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 1-7

After reading seven chapters of Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima I am content. I'm not quite hooked yet, but I am content. This book reminds me of The Giver by Lois Lowry. The protagonist Antonio seems to be the closest to the mystical matriarch Ultima. When Antonio was born his fate was witheld by Ultima. I think that is because he will grow up to be neither a farmer or a cowboy.   My prediction for the conclusion of the book is that Toni will take over the position of grand wizard or whatever Ultima is once Ultima dies. I also think that the family will move to California in search of jobs and open spaces. Unlike my fellow students I do not hate the Spanish used throughout the book. It's not hard to understand the little phrases when your context clues are used. It was harder to read A Clockwork Orange than this (It was also hard to watch, but that's another story). The Spanish actually makes the book better. It seems like the the language will drop off after Antonio starts learning more English in school and the family moves to California. I also like the magical parts in the story it makes anything possible for Antonio and his family! I can't wait to read what happens next in the story.

Can College Football be Saved

With college football looking more and more like the SECFL (Southeastern Conference Football League for all you non fans), will it possible for an underdog to win again? The answer may still be no, but Baylor University's Robert Griffin III would like to challenge that. RG3 took home the Heisman with projected winner Andrew Luck coming in second. I'll be honest I'm not the biggest fan of college football or football in general, but I was pumped to see Griffin take home the hardware and shove all the TV/Radio hype back into Andrew Luck's face. Now before all you sport haters chime in with your, "he's dumb blah blah blah." RG3 finished up on the dean's list with a degree in political science, so don't hate just because he's great.

Mark Viera's article gives it to the people straight. He tosses out facts on the voting turnout, number of votes to each player, and where each player won their votes. It is possible that Viera has a little fascination with Andrew Luck because even though the article is about RG3's win Luck's stats and the fact that he is a great football player keeps getting brought up. I would rate this article a 9 out of 9 basing my rating off of insight, evidence, and fluency.

Article: Baylor’s Griffin Wins Heisman

An Angel on Earth Leaves Us

It isn't right that people have to face hardships like this in the world. Charlotte was just a baby and her life was taken from her much too soon, but she was also a fighter. Only five years old and already living two and a half years with brain cancer seems unbearable to the common person. The Kelly's were not common people though. They faced it with determination and an unshakable faith. I took part in the road race for Charlotte in April and let me tell you about the kindness of this family. Not one cent of the proceeds raised from the race went to Charlotte. Every dollar went to fund research for neuroblastoma research because of the lack of funding to pediatric cancer. If there was one thing I took from my experience at a Jesuit school it's that being a man for others is truly the best thing to be in life. The Kelly's were a family for others in the truest sense of the phrase. They raised money for research to help everyone that as also effected by neuroblastoma, and all they asked for in return was our prayers. I was introduced to Charlotte's story by my mother who was a friend of Patrice. All it took was one look at the smiling face of that little girl and I was hooked. I, along with my mother, wanted nothing more than to see a care page update with words of joy and relief, but those were far and few in between. It was heartbreaking to see Charlotte's life slip away with each new care page update. On more than one occasion I have been brought to tears by the words of her mother Patrice. Charlotte Rose Kelly passed away on December 7th and she was the strongest person I have ever known.

I knew something had to be said about Charlottes story as soon as I heard the news. Beverley Beckham's article was the perfect way to show my classmates as well as the world. Beckham's article however can not begin to tell of all the strength, anger, heartbreak, joy, and tears that were brought about by this beautiful little girl, so I linked a few more sites that might help bring light to this tragic story.

Beckham's Article
Charlotte's Obituary
A picture of Charlotte along with a beautiful blog

The Rise and Fall of the Boogeyman

I had never heard the story of Derek Boogard until I read the article on the NY Times website. Twenty four minutes later I am heartbroken. It seems like this is the way it goes for too many tough guys. I have the utmost respect for the enforcer in any sport considering how big of a nancy-boy I am, but you have to know when to stop. I never understood how one could go through life holding everything inside of them like Boogard did. The guys in the video are right when they say enforcers aren't just fighters. They get them team into it because if someone is going to work that hard you sure as hell better nut up to work at his level. It's an absolute tragedy to see someone like Derek Boogard, a man who work from being a complete underdog to being the favorite player on his team, go like he did.

For starters everyone has to watch the three part video on his life (The link will be below). Its powerful stuff. There isn't an article to comment on, but the narrators voice could have been chosen better. The gravely voice of Jeff Bridges would have fit nicely with this not a dainty female voice. I like how candid the other NHL tough guys are in their interviews. You can see that everyone just had tons of respect for this guy. It's always terrible to see somebody go down the wrong path and not come out alive. My heart goes out to the Boogards.

Video Article: Derek Boogard

A Sad Look Towards the Future

With the Republican race heating up I think it's time we stopped joking around. The candidates that are running are simply not acceptable, but with everyone complaining about Obama it seems like we might have a Republican president come next November. The Newt however stands above all in his pale glory. Some of these political stances made me laugh, but as I went on I remembered something. Newt Gingrich is the front runner for the Republican nomination which is, to be frank, frightening. How is it possible that someone with as many outrageous views as the newt has is able to even be in congress? Then I thought to myself again. I said, "self are there any other candidates that make outlandish statements like Mr. Gingrich does?" The answer is yes for all of you watching at home. Even in these early stages of the race we have seen the rise and falls of such superstars like Herman Cain and Rick Perry with the unearthing of the sexual harassment case and the whole being crazy thing respectively. Perhaps Newt is just a flash in the pan like so many others. Hopefully America can smarten up and choose a candidate that is right for the country and not just some jingo nutcase that caters to special interest groups. Until then I'll be in the corner with my Ron Paul 2012 button.


Justin Elliott writes a humorous yet insightful article by unearthing some of Newt Gingrich's "most outlandish positions". His bias is quite obvious considering what he is writing about, but Elliott delivers just the facts and lets the reader come up with their own thoughts. Which I'm sure went along with his because let's face it, if you're reading something like this, you obviously aren't the biggest fan of the right. I would give Elliott's article a 4 out of 5 star rating. Only because there is no conclusion.


Article: A look back: Newt’s most outlandish positions

INTERNET CENSORSHIP

If the Pirate Bay goes down i will be angrier than a bear with a sore head! Then again Nancy Scola hooks it up with this little gem, "copy and paste “194.71.107.15″ in your browser. The Pirate Bay should still pop up, and there’s nothing Google can do about it." Well I did it and it totally works so I'm not too concerned knowing that I will still get my daily dose of illegal music. I'm not 100% sure what else the censorship would effect, but I know it would set the internet on fire. facebook, 4chan, youtube, tumblr etc. People would be commenting with a fury never before seen by man. Imagine the normally extremely heated youtube video comment debate. Now multiply that by 25 and you have the anger my fellow internet users will feel. I won't be on the same boat as those guys though because I'm more of a video game kind of guy. I come home from school, check facebook for about ten minutes, download a new/old album off of the pirate bay, jam out will watching TV while doing homework, and then play video games (Maybe play hockey depending on the day), but my day doesn't really revolve around the internet. Perhaps you fellow bloggers out there would like to comment?

The Pope Don't Kiss Dudes

For starters I feel like I must say that I find humor in most everything. There are verrrrry few subjects that go to far for me. Anyway a picture of the pope and the Imam kissing is funny to me because I love to see buttons get pushed were they shouldn't. Maybe these guys should kiss and make up already. According to dailymail.co.uk, "Al-Azhar suspended interfaith talks with the Vatican earlier this year after Benedict called for greater protections for Egypt's minority Christians," so maybe what these two guys need is a nice bro-hug and a quick kiss. It seems like the best plan of action to end the religious animosity in the Middle East and Africa. Benetton I salute you.


The author tries to mask her bias, but I think we all see it. Williams finishes up the article with, "It depicts the horrors of violence and disease, but it still imagines a world in which leaders at polar ends of the spectrum can embrace in love. Exploitative? A little bit bratty? Sure. But an idea that’s still warmer and more welcome than a puffer coat on a cold day." It is obvious to see that she approves for the most part of the campaign Benetton is running.


Article: Here

Look out for Klout

This could be very dangerous for Americans. It's like a who's who for the entire online world. It seems almost like a TV show episode. The nerds in the basement do their algorithms and internet magic to compile a list of the most important people in the world. The site takes in all of your social media profiles and measures the amount of popularity you have "klout" if you will. I am going to try to avoid this website at all costs. I know that if I get on to that site I will be trapped in its web. Constantly checking my klout rating. I did look at the homepage though. The guy on the front looks like he has about as much "klout" as a newborn baby. For those of you feeling adventurous the website is Klout.com (Join at your own risk).


Bonnie Stewart does make a good argument though. The website is basically wrong. It can't assess your influence in your community, circle of friends, or school. Just because someone retweets your tweet about the math test doesn't mean you have influence, and when you try to boil something as vague as social influence your number just doesn't do you justice.


Article: Klout is bad for your soul

"Bullying is just fine as long as you have a permission slip from God"

Another successful strike to the progressives from the Christian right! Michigan decide that it was fine that a gay teen killed himself because of bullying because of the bullies' "sincerely held religious belief[s] or moral conviction[s]" I can see it now gangs of Christians taking on LGBT gangs The Outsiders style, but seriously this is not fine. A serious religious conviction is no reason to bully a child to the point where they feel their only option is suicide. I kind of wish that John Stewart covered this story because Colbert's character doesn't get the people going like it should have. The jokes in the bit only bring in awkward laughter because this really isn't something that people want to joke about. We aren't talking about Herman Cain being frisky or Where Rick Perry stands on global warming. We are talking about a teen that was bullied into killing himself, and someone out there wants to justify it? Unacceptable. I'm not trying to bash on religion, but you can't be held to a different standard than everyone else. If you bully you get in trouble that is the bottom line. Here is the link to the video from the Colbert Report so all of you guys can be as mad as I am.

Article: Colbert takes on Michigan bullying law

My Big Bad Book Report

I must say I did not choose wisely for my outside reading book. The Last Testament: A Memoir By God by David Javerbaum was better off as a joke a day calendar than a book. The writing was broken into numbered sections that got on my nerves after a while. It's also in semi-old English which at times can be funny, but it could have been cut out. I guess it's my fault for picking a humorous book for an AP English class. I won't say that i didn't like the book  because it was hilarious. I was averaging a laugh every two pages, and i enjoyed the irony of the whole thing. Some of my favorite parts were "Unsolved Mysteries", "Games (On Sports)", and "Hindus". I also liked that there was a picture of God on the front. Strangely enough he looks like Jeff Bridges after a year away from the barber. The Last Testament is not for the weak of heart however. There are many outrageous sections on the book that many would find offensive especially the section on Hindus where "God" goes after every religion that doesn't follow him.  Such offensive lines as, "Hinduism may have it's merits, but Buddhism I hate with every fiber of my being." There are no themes nor is there a plot, but the book does serve as a mirror that an uneducated religious could hold up to themselves. I don't say an educated religious person because they can accept such things as evolution and global warming. The Last Testament is very much like The Colbert Report. The God in this book is a God that someone who still has a confederate flag on there truck might believe in. He is 100% American, actually cares about sports, and only accepts Monotheism where he is the main God. By portraying God like this Javerbaum shows how silly some people are. I would give the book five stars for it's entertainment value, but alas I cannot. As a book The Last Testament comes short, but then again I doubt Javerbaum wanted it to make it to Oprah's favorite books list. I would recommend this book to anyone with a VERY open mid and a good sense of humor it's not just for the atheist out there I think this book could be enjoyed by everyone.

Herman Cain Is Crazy

With Herman Cain in the front of the pack now in the race for Republican supremacy the saucy details of his past life have bubbled to the surface. He was accused of sexual harassment in the 90's and settled out of court. I think that 75% of people that have heard this story think he just harassed someone like yesterday but whatever. Herman says we are being racist by doing this to him. I disagree. I think it's because before he became the front runner nobody really cared who he was or what he did. I have to say Herman Cain seems pretty crazy now that he is receiving more television exposure. Not that he wasn't out there before (See Video).

Steve Kornacki brings an unbiased article to the Internet for the world to read. He simply tells the reader what happened and gave a quote from the victim of Herman's wrath. Kornacki does a good job of bringing light to a confusing tale wrapped up in political jargon.

Article: Cain accuser’s lawyer alleges “inappropriate behaviors” and “unwanted advances”

Look Out Hollywood It's Bollywood!

I have to say this movie looks hilarious. Well maybe not hilarious. I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but if it's the most expensive movie ever to come out of India then it has to have some watch-ability. I don't know how I feel about watching a movie not from Hollywood since America obviously makes the best movies. Why do you think we get all the actors from other countries to come here? The video at the bottom does get me pumped though. I'm a big fan of Akon. He's a versatile rapper with his talents ranging from the down and dirty "Smack That" to the classic club anthem "Bartender."

Andrew O'Hehir doesn't know what to make of the film either. He looks to be a little more qualified than me however. He talks about classic Bollywood romance films like it's no big deal. Come on man you know that's impressive. His writing is funny and keeps me interested. By the end of the article I wanted to see the movie too. If that is what O'Hehir was going for then mission accomplished.

Article:Pick of the week: Bollywood’s blissful, idiotic “RA. One”

My Outside Reading Choice/Blog of the Week

The Last Testament: A Memoir by God by David Javerbaum looks hilarious. I was a little concerned with what the next book I was going to read, but I believe that this is it. I have been a regular viewer of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report since freshman year, so I am very excited to read this, but enough about me. Javerbaum seems like a great guy from this interview. I'm glad that he doesn't see his show as a news program. I particularly like what he says about people that strcitly watch the Daily Show for news, "If people are tuning into “The Daily Show” for news, it’s like an alcoholic drinking shampoo because there’s nothing else in the house." He believes that the show should only be seen as comedy and the only reason that it would be considered news is because of all the news programs that fail to deliver. 

The interview of Javerbaum is funny and insightful. It touches on the major aspects of the book and gets the reader excited.It got me excited at least. He talks about not only the book but also Javerbaums other job (Executive producer of the Daily Show). Javerbaum is funny but also speaks the truth in the interview. I can't wait for the book to come out November first. I will blog my thoughts as I read the book.

Article:God’s comic: “Daily Show” veteran takes on religion

"In Time." Not the Best Movie Ever

I recently went to see the movie "In Time" starring Justin Timberlake. Now for a little back story. I am a big Cillian Murphy fan, so naturally when I stumbled on to a trailer of "In Time" on YouTube I could barely wait for it's release. Fast forward a couple months and yours truly is walking out of the theater a disappointed man. I was not disappointed in Cillian Murphy, but my guy JT just couldn't cut the mustard. He is definitely not cut out to be an action hero. He tried to cry in one scene and I kid you not, the theater laughed at him. It felt like the supports were perfect for their roles and then JT was just thrown in there to give the film more appeal. I won't say I didn't like the film, but I will say that it didn't come close to my expectations. From my initial YouTube preview I had faith that this movie would be excellent, but it just misses the mark for me. 


This article gives one writers opinion on the movie. He makes a nice link to the current Occupy Wall Street movement, but says that the movie is based more off of the 1970's than present day. I agree with what he says about the acting and plot. I was especially excited to see that he gave a shout-out to Cillian Murphy who, "nearly steals the show as a moody, conflicted Timekeeper, one of the currency cops who maintains order - so much so that I wish the movie were about him." O'Hehir sums up the movie in a nice sentence. "So yeah - even if "In Time descends from its gripping and thought provoking premise into a mediocre chase thriller before it's over, it's still pretty damn satisfying to watch in the current climate," which is exactly how I feel.


Article:“In Time”: Justin Timberlake’s OWS sci-fi thriller

The Origin of "Drinking the Kool-Aid"

This has to be the craziest story I have ever read. I know about those Midwestern polygamy camps, but this blows them out of the water. A man by the name of Jim Jones gathered a following, brought them to Guyana, tortured them, and finally had the over nine hundred followers drink the poisoned Kool-Aid in the largest recorded mass suicide. I'm definitely going out and buying this as my next book. Maybe I'll even recommend it to my teacher. I'm sure we could learn something from Jim Jones' rhetoric that he used to persuade the masses to his People's Temple. If not that then I bet it would be an interesting read. The whole story of Jonestown sounds like a movie. I can not even fathom how something as insane as this could have happened. I'm surprised that an event like this can fall into obscurity. I have never seen anything about "the largest number of American civilians in a single non-natural disaster until 9/11," in my history books. Maybe Americans just want to erase this black spot in our history as much as they can. Jones fooled a whole bunch of big public figures. At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist perhaps all of the big time politicians that were sucked into the People's Temple tried to cover up their foolishness by covering up the entire event itself. Maybe it is just because as Americans we move on to a new interesting story every week. The story of Jonestown is just too far back in the news archives for it to be an interesting story for the public. Obviously the event received coverage when the story first broke , but to forget the 909 people lost seems wrong. Cultists or not they still deserve our respect. Especially considering the torture they had to endure in Jonestown.


Laura Miller writes an interesting article on what happened at Jonestown. It is in the form of a book review, but she does little to review the book. Instead she tells her readers of the events leading up to that final night in Jonestown. So technically this isn't to great of a review as I have no idea how good or bad Julia Scheeres' book actually is. The story of Jonestown is interesting on its own. I wonder how well Scheeres does to bring a new light to an old tale.


Article:“A Thousand Lives”: What really happened in Jonestown?

A Battle for the Stone Ages

Why is it cool to be a Conservative Christian nutjob again? We were making such great strides these past years. With the presidential election coming up I find it infuriating that we as Americans would even consider a president that doesn't believe in evolution or global warming. Republicans are looking more and more like an anti science party rather than a political party. It seems that whoever can be the biggest evangelist will get the number one spot. On top of that there is a big to do about whether or not Mitt Romney can call himself a Christian. A: Yes he can it is a fact that Mormons are Christians thanks for playing though, and B: That shouldn't enter into a PRESIDENTIAL campaign. Sure we aren't where we thought we would be, but that doesn't mean we should go jump into the arms of the Republicans again.

Kevin Canfield interviews Jonathan D Moreno, a professor of science and medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of Obama's transition team. Canfield interviews Moreno, but Moreno is the one that has the most to say. He talks about why Americans are where they are now in terms of biotech research and other things. The article is not a shot at religion. It is simply Moreno's opinion that it is a hindrance to the progress of scientific research in America and I agree.

Article: The Republican war on science is un-American

My New Idol

I am no artist nor do I claim to be one, but those are some seriously cool paintings and sculptures. Pedro Friedeberg seems like he would be a real hoot to hang out with. His paintings may have meaning but I'm not quite seeing it. I would go to see a Friedeberg exhibit simply because it would be cool not because I want to find out what the artist meant when painting these. I would love to know why he likes hands so much. All of his sculptures are made of hands and some feet. They look awesome and I want one for my house, but why so many hands?

The author says he thought he knew Pedro until he  read his biography and then he puts in a quote from Friedeberg himself. He doesn't say much at all. He lets the pictures speak for themselves. If a picture says a thousand words I have to say that these painting are worth far more than a thousand.

Article: The Work of a Surreal Designer

A Rant About Cartoon Network

Ah the good old days. When men were men and a mallet in the head was hilarious. I never knew that Cartoon Network had only been around since '92. Being born in 1994 I just assumed that it had always been around. This article really makes me miss when shows were funny on CN like Dexter's Lab, Cow & Chicken, Tom and Jerry, and  Johnny Bravo. That was good programming. Nowadays Cartoon Network has the audacity to try and put live action shows in the line-up. I know that I'm the umptee-seventh person to talk about how cartoon network used to be good, but for real man what the heck. All there is on now is cookie cutter crap with the same exact plot in each show. What ever happened to experimental shows like Sheep in the Big City and Courage the Cowardly Dog? With my childhood slipping away day by day I can only take solace in the fact that CN still has Adult Swim (My favorite channel, if you can even call it that). Adult Swim has stayed strong with weird shows that appeal to a certain audience of awesome people since it's inception. If only Cartoon Network could have been as steadfast with their line up.


The author talks about the beginning of CN and give basically a behind the scenes look at what went on for this show to start. He shows pictures of a card box that was sent out to show the marketability of Cartoon Network. He isn't trying to say anything about the downfall of CN he gives the reader a little known story about something that we all know and love (Sort of).

Article: When Cartoon Network Was Born

Euphemisms

I had to check this article simply because the title made me "LOL" by myself. Famous political flip-flopper Mitt Romney hits it out of the park again with partnership agreements. Do you guys remember when it was cool to be liberal? Why is the Christian Right taking over the United States again? All I could think of as I read this article was the famous George Carlin routine on euphemisms. A video which I have placed down yonder (you're welcome). A partnership agreement sounds like something the NBA needs to make to end the lockout. It doesn't sound like a happy marriage.


Alex Pareene writes a very funny article on Mitt's new proposal for gay marriage. He writes very sarcastically and makes fun of the cold robotic term "partnership agreement" by finishing up his article with a paragraph so politically correct you can hardly understand what is going on.

Article: Mitt Romney proposes “partnership agreements” for gay couples who happen to be emotionless cyborgs

What's Your Occupation? Part Deux [Boston Edition]

I never thought I'd see the day that my own fair city would fight the Occupy Wall Street Movement. This article makes you wonder. What were those hundred peaceful protesters doing that made them more serious threats than others during the raid? I was actually in Boston this past Saturday. I jumped in the protester's parade as they walked by the public garden. I saw the nice little camp that the protesters had set up. It hardly seemed like a place that required a force of 200 riot geared officers to clear out at 1:30 in the morning. Maybe I'm just a child with pipe dreams of a Government that actually listens to the people, but When the President sees the future of the United States in the streets protesting you would think that he would do something.


The author writes a quick snippet of what is going on in the city. He shows no bias, but he does call the people, "peaceful protesters," which could be taken as a biased phrase. There is little background information about the actual movement. The article just tells of the raid that occurred. 

Article:Boston’s mayor: “Civil disobedience will not be tolerated”

The question was, "Do you believe that a homemaker who has never been a wage  earner should be entitled to a Social Security death benefit for her survivors?" The answer is in the title. Sure if a mother is a hard worker she deserves recognition and the respect of her peers, but if she never pays into the system. Why would she be entitled to anything back? That's like Wesley Snipes being upset with the police force of his town. It's not like Blade pays his taxes, so what right does he have to be upset? Bonnie Smith-Yackel's mother never worked in the literal sense, so I'm sorry but there is nothing more to be said.

What's Your Occupation?

– “Occupy! Bring instruments, food, blankets, bedding, rain gear, and a sense of justice”

– “Spread the word” via nycga.net, Twitter, and Facebook

–”Donate” either money or food or clothes

–”Follow the occupation”

–”Educate yourself”

These are the things you must do to continue the occupation of Wall Street. The occupation has moved to the Brooklyn Bridge and beyond sine it's start on September 17th. However the protesters were stopped by some not so sympathetic police officers and hundreds of occupiers were arrested. It seems that in any case of uprising the more outrageous the police riot control tactics become the more momentum the uprising has gained. If that is true then Occupy Wall Street is going strong. It is a promising sight to see a gathering of more than a hundred people for an important cause other than legalizing marijuana, and I would say I'm all for the Occupy Wall Street movement. However I have no idea what they stand for, and neither do they from what I've read. I'm all for sticking it to the man and hating every "Joe big business" out there, but I wish the protesters would think of something to protest for already.

Justin Eliott writes an un-biased piece about the ongoing occupation of Wall Street. There is no intent other than letting the reader know what is going on in the world around them. He uses a picture of an arrest to grab the reader's attention. He uses a quote from the recently created newspaper "The Occupied Wall Street Journal." This article is for anyone that wants to learn more about the movement. There is no bias and the author does a great job of delivering the facts.

Article: Busted on Brooklyn Bridge

Magic Mushrooms for the Terminal Soul

I had to go for this article right when I saw it. Alexander Zaitchik writes about experimental psilocybin treatments for terminally ill cancer patients, and I think it's a fantastic idea. So many cancer victims spend their last days even weeks in a hospital paralyzed by the fear of their encroaching death. From the article it is obvious that there have been promising results, but I don't see this being more than an experiment. If this starts to gain any momentum it will have a serious battle ahead of them. Every anti-drug crusader and their mother will be out campaigning against the treatment without any consideration for the cancer patients themselves. No human should lives their lives in fear especially someone that is terminally ill. Hospitals already get patients into experimental chemo treatments which can be very dangerous. Why not try something experimental that won't hurt the patient. Now I'm not saying that everyone needs to run out and get some 'shrooms, but if you were in a terminal patient's shoes.. Wouldn't you want to at least be at peace with the life you have if nothing else?


Zaitchik is obviously on the side of the doctors in this article. He kicks off the article by taking the reader on an adventure with Kristof Kossut, a terminally ill man going into the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research. After the Kossut story the author quotes different doctors that vouch for this experimental treatment. He also takes a look at the expensive treatments that take place in the last moments of one's life. He says that if we just helped the person cope with what was coming rather than spending so much on useless treatments a lot of money could be saved. This article definitely isn't trying to pull anyone on his side. The article is more of a look into the psychedelic side of things for someone that is alright with it in the first place.


Article: Flashback! Psychedelic Research Returns

Not Just the Cake is a Lie...

This article obviously hits home with me being a catholic school dropout. You mean to say that my single-sex education of two years did nothing more than a coed education would have done? Sarah Sparks basically puts single-sex education on blast in this article. Studies are popping up showing that if a school is coed or not does nothing for a child's education. In fact it increases sexism in children. I have to say I do agree with that. Women are put on a pedestal at B.C. High, and I don't mean the big stool in the kitchen. I mean when a girl is at that school boys see a light from the heavens and hear an angelic chorus of of Beethoven's 9th symphony around her. However at Hanover girls are seen more as equals than a gift from God. It also plays into social lives as well. A B.C. High/NDA get together is a sad site to see. We just don't know how to act around each other which leads to many awkward silences.

The author use quotes from all sorts of doctors that are authorities in their positions. She does not let her own bias get into the article. She simply reports the facts and lets the reader make his or her own conclusions. She does let you know that her facts are credible though. She names a couple expert authors that contributed to a book that Sparks is basing her article off of.

Article: Researchers Blast 'Pseudoscience' of Single-Sex Education

We're Gonna Go To.. Ludicrous Speed!

I chose to blog about this article because I originally saw the story in the form of a tweet from the Huffington Post that the speed of light had been broken, so I wanted to look into it. The Super Proton Synchrotron at CERN fired neutrinos through an underground system to San Grasso laboratory in Italy, and the neutrinos arrived 60 nanoseconds ahead of their 3 millisecond ETA. This means that they would have had to been traveling faster than the speed of light. Now I don't know a lot about speed of light travel and super synchrotrons, but I do know that the speed of light was never meant to be broken. If that is the case then Einstein was wrong with his theory of relativity.

The author first writes about the facts to get the reader acquainted with the story. She remains skeptical that the neutrinos actually surpassed the speed of light. She gives a specific example from supernova 1987 which had behavior very unlike the neutrinos from CERN. She finishes the article with a quote from Carl Sagan, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” She goes on to say that maybe, just maybe these neutrinos went faster than the speed of light. Kelly Oakes is obviously a non-believer for now, but she remains open in the article which in turn keeps the readers mind open to the possibility.

Article: Faster-than-light neutrinos show science in action