The University of Michigan is no longer going to carry coke cola products on it's campus.
the reason is because coke cola has bad labor practices in India and Colombia.
"The student group accused Coca-Cola of draining the water table in India, causing farmers' crops to go dry; distributing bottling plant sludge containing contaminants to Indian farmers as fertilizer; selling products that contain pesticides in India; and conspiring with paramilitary "
Yeah that does sound like some really bad labor practices.
Go Blue
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
mtv's Shook Ones: hypermasculinity and stupidity in a year of hip-hop
I was flipping the channels the other day and ran across a special on MTV in which they reviewed this year (2005 for those reading at a later date) in the world of hip-hop.
After watching this I want to give rapper Jim Jones the nomination for the dumbest negro on the air award. Mainly for his comment about wanting to see the day when rapper beef, when two or more rappers talk have a dispute with each other, escalating into people killing each other.
To bad none of the other panel members told him how stupid he was for making that comment. Closes we got was rapper Remy Ma's quick head turn after made the comment.
Doesn't he remember Biggie and Tupac?
---
a bit later in the show they talked about about comments producer/rapper Kanye West said about rappers should stop bashing gays in their songs and the fact that because he grew up in a single mother house hold he ended up acting a bit more feminine growing up.
These comments brought up more then a bit of anger among Bruce Banner and Jim Jones.
Banner says there are some things you just shouldn't talk about.
while Jim Jones states he is offended about the comment Kanye West saying that because his growing up in a household ran by a woman that he grew up feminine. Mr.Jones Thinks that because he grew up in similar situation and didn't feel he grew a bit feminine that Kanye West experience is bullshit.
Methinks he (Jim Jones) doth protest too much
I'm not really sure what made Jim Jones so angry. Is it the ideal that a boy growing up would take on the mannerism of those adults around him and in a case where one grows up with a father figure it more likely that the boy would pick up characteristic that are thought as as being more feminine then masculine.
It's not that big of a shock, that this sometimes happens. Hell even Tupac (to many a thug he is a god) said that because he grew up with only his mother he took on some feminine mannerism.
or maybe it the misbelief that if a man shows any sings of "feminine" got to be gay.
It could easily be both.
I think that the problem is that people set little boxes on the way they think people should act. So people act the way they think they should act and negatively react to those they see not acting the way they think they should.
When looking in terms of Feminine and Masculine it ends up that most people have a list things they think are manly or girly.
The problem is that real people can't be put into a box. Sure someone may step more into on set of categories then the other. But realistically a person is going to fall into a bit of both.
Those that try to mode themselves into only one box end up being a cartoonish version of whatever they are trying to be. Which now that I think about it maybe the reason why hip-hop may be so hypermasculine and hyperthuggy. It's because it is full of a bunch of people who are not acting like real men but acting like they think a man should act.
and that maybe why when Kanye said he picked a few mannerism from his mom he made Jim Jones so angry. He challenged Jones' ideal of the way a man/boy should act and maybe even challenged the way he acts.
ok that enough crappy pop physiology for today
After watching this I want to give rapper Jim Jones the nomination for the dumbest negro on the air award. Mainly for his comment about wanting to see the day when rapper beef, when two or more rappers talk have a dispute with each other, escalating into people killing each other.
To bad none of the other panel members told him how stupid he was for making that comment. Closes we got was rapper Remy Ma's quick head turn after made the comment.
Doesn't he remember Biggie and Tupac?
---
a bit later in the show they talked about about comments producer/rapper Kanye West said about rappers should stop bashing gays in their songs and the fact that because he grew up in a single mother house hold he ended up acting a bit more feminine growing up.
These comments brought up more then a bit of anger among Bruce Banner and Jim Jones.
Banner says there are some things you just shouldn't talk about.
while Jim Jones states he is offended about the comment Kanye West saying that because his growing up in a household ran by a woman that he grew up feminine. Mr.Jones Thinks that because he grew up in similar situation and didn't feel he grew a bit feminine that Kanye West experience is bullshit.
Methinks he (Jim Jones) doth protest too much
I'm not really sure what made Jim Jones so angry. Is it the ideal that a boy growing up would take on the mannerism of those adults around him and in a case where one grows up with a father figure it more likely that the boy would pick up characteristic that are thought as as being more feminine then masculine.
It's not that big of a shock, that this sometimes happens. Hell even Tupac (to many a thug he is a god) said that because he grew up with only his mother he took on some feminine mannerism.
or maybe it the misbelief that if a man shows any sings of "feminine" got to be gay.
It could easily be both.
I think that the problem is that people set little boxes on the way they think people should act. So people act the way they think they should act and negatively react to those they see not acting the way they think they should.
When looking in terms of Feminine and Masculine it ends up that most people have a list things they think are manly or girly.
The problem is that real people can't be put into a box. Sure someone may step more into on set of categories then the other. But realistically a person is going to fall into a bit of both.
Those that try to mode themselves into only one box end up being a cartoonish version of whatever they are trying to be. Which now that I think about it maybe the reason why hip-hop may be so hypermasculine and hyperthuggy. It's because it is full of a bunch of people who are not acting like real men but acting like they think a man should act.
and that maybe why when Kanye said he picked a few mannerism from his mom he made Jim Jones so angry. He challenged Jones' ideal of the way a man/boy should act and maybe even challenged the way he acts.
ok that enough crappy pop physiology for today
Monday, December 26, 2005
Victory! The war on Christmas ends
The long fought battle against the evil anti Americans who want to destroy Christmas has finally ended.
Yes yes the long battles that have been going on for the past few months are finally over. No longer do we have to fear the horror and bloodshed that we have all grown to know to well.
Fear ye not, you can now go shopping without fear of being attacked by some overly culturally sensitive person greeting you with a Happy Holidays instead of the correct greeting of Merry Christmas.
I'm still a bit shell shock of all the horrors I've seen this month. I still wake up at nights in horrors of what I have seen and what I had to do in these troubling times.
For example I can still see the face of the elderly man I had to kill after he attacked me in a walmart with his words of happy holidays. Said this poor genital man in the twilight of his life had to end. He probably had a wife or girlfriend just like any of the boys on our side. He'll he may even have had kids or grandkids.
But it's over now. The best thing we can do as a nation is get together and rebuild.
It may take some time before we can become at ease. But for the time being it looks like we will be safe, we saved Christmas form being destoried. The only thing that we might have to worry about is if the Jews and Negros decide to join forces and celebrate their holidays at the same time this year. An axis of unChristmasness if you will.
*for those with low IQs this post is made in jest (that means This is a joke)
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
Trading Spouses: meet your new insane fundie
I saw this clip for the show trading spouses.
The ideal of the show hasn't appealed to me so I never watched, but I wish I saw this episode. At the very least to see what set this lady off.
The ideal of the show hasn't appealed to me so I never watched, but I wish I saw this episode. At the very least to see what set this lady off.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
really funny German Training video
Not sure if this is a real training video but I know it is funny.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Hip hop videos sexploitation
I was watching a special on VH1 about sexism in rap music videos. Which is a fact that can’t really be denied.
The only problem I had was that the show spent to much time on woman that where exploiting themselves. I’m mainly talking about the shows focus on the females that went around and whored themselves to the rappers, clicks, and whatever. It was mainly this woman nicked name Super-head that ruined the special for me, for those that don’t know super-head was a video girl that sleep around with many rappers and their clicks and recently wrote a book about that time in her life. It really hard to feel sorry for someone who willing sleep around with people and then later wrote a book about it.
The special also had the video girls/models talking about the video hoes. The later are the women that will sleep with rappers, clicks or cast directors either because they think that will get them the part or because they just want to get closer to the rapper. This is a problem for the former because there seems to be so many video hoes that the men working on video treat all the women working in the video like the would the ho. Not that the plethora of video hoes is no excuse on the guys part to treat women the way they do.
I sympathies for poor work conductions these women (the video girl/models, not the video hoes) have to go through. Like the woman that said she was trap in a corner by director with his dick out. I felt real bad for her. But these ladies stories where mixed in with the video hoes trying to drum up sympathy with their tails.
Though I favored the video girls/models points there where a few that I had time as seeing as sexism in the hip-hop music video industry. The main one was a few of the women complained about being asked to dance during the casting call. Giving the fact that they are trying to work in a music video and most video have people dancing I would think that it kind of odd that they would get mad when ask to dance. I mean I can understand getting upset if you where asked to dance on a job interview for telemarketing or something but not a music video. I don’t thank that part is sexist maybe the real problem is that when people place ads for video models they should mention if the job is dancing or non-dancing.
Oddly even though this was a type of music video that many of the video girls/models and a director said was the worst, most sexist of all videos. I found that the part of the show when they talked to the women that where in an uncut video seemed just as professional then the video girls (you know not the ones sleeping around). They were all strippers at a club, yet non of them seemed to fall into the video hoe category. They were also the only group that wasn’t screaming about being exploited for sex and yet they may have been the most exploited. It’s not because they showed the most skin and shaked a lot more ass then the other women. But because they said they didn’t get paid.
Maybe it just me but I also think that the uncut video do less harm due to the fact that they are on so late not as many people watch them and more importantly little kids are very unlikely to catch it since they should be asleep.
Speaking about little kids I would have liked if this special went more into the effects of little kids watching music videos. I think that is where the biggest problem in music video sexism lies. Although I think it’s bad that the women working in the videos have to go throw so much crap, I think it’s worse that little girls can develop low self of steam and boys devalue women because of these video (along with a slue of other factors in life and the media).
The only problem I had was that the show spent to much time on woman that where exploiting themselves. I’m mainly talking about the shows focus on the females that went around and whored themselves to the rappers, clicks, and whatever. It was mainly this woman nicked name Super-head that ruined the special for me, for those that don’t know super-head was a video girl that sleep around with many rappers and their clicks and recently wrote a book about that time in her life. It really hard to feel sorry for someone who willing sleep around with people and then later wrote a book about it.
The special also had the video girls/models talking about the video hoes. The later are the women that will sleep with rappers, clicks or cast directors either because they think that will get them the part or because they just want to get closer to the rapper. This is a problem for the former because there seems to be so many video hoes that the men working on video treat all the women working in the video like the would the ho. Not that the plethora of video hoes is no excuse on the guys part to treat women the way they do.
I sympathies for poor work conductions these women (the video girl/models, not the video hoes) have to go through. Like the woman that said she was trap in a corner by director with his dick out. I felt real bad for her. But these ladies stories where mixed in with the video hoes trying to drum up sympathy with their tails.
Though I favored the video girls/models points there where a few that I had time as seeing as sexism in the hip-hop music video industry. The main one was a few of the women complained about being asked to dance during the casting call. Giving the fact that they are trying to work in a music video and most video have people dancing I would think that it kind of odd that they would get mad when ask to dance. I mean I can understand getting upset if you where asked to dance on a job interview for telemarketing or something but not a music video. I don’t thank that part is sexist maybe the real problem is that when people place ads for video models they should mention if the job is dancing or non-dancing.
Oddly even though this was a type of music video that many of the video girls/models and a director said was the worst, most sexist of all videos. I found that the part of the show when they talked to the women that where in an uncut video seemed just as professional then the video girls (you know not the ones sleeping around). They were all strippers at a club, yet non of them seemed to fall into the video hoe category. They were also the only group that wasn’t screaming about being exploited for sex and yet they may have been the most exploited. It’s not because they showed the most skin and shaked a lot more ass then the other women. But because they said they didn’t get paid.
Maybe it just me but I also think that the uncut video do less harm due to the fact that they are on so late not as many people watch them and more importantly little kids are very unlikely to catch it since they should be asleep.
Speaking about little kids I would have liked if this special went more into the effects of little kids watching music videos. I think that is where the biggest problem in music video sexism lies. Although I think it’s bad that the women working in the videos have to go throw so much crap, I think it’s worse that little girls can develop low self of steam and boys devalue women because of these video (along with a slue of other factors in life and the media).
Friday, December 16, 2005
Ethnic self hate, the quest to reach for White Beauty
The other day I was watching a documentary on AZN about Asian women wanting plastic surgery to make them look more western (ie White).
The basic reason these women gave to why they wanted to change the way they looked is because they want to fit the Westernized standard of beauty. The reason why they want to fit more into the mode of western Whiteness may either be because they have been bombard with the ideal beauty pushed by the media or even because someone or people in there family push it onto them.
As I was watching this I realized that the ideal that the ideal beauty takes on more Caucasian characteristics is something that looms over many people and can have a strong effect on the self image of non-whites.
For example I know from an African American perspective that there have been in the past whole industries of products made to make on look whiter. Any thing form lye used to burn hair straight to skin lighting creams (which I remember reading a few years ago that similar products are being used in Africa). In fact even today there are Blacks who use plastic surgery to change their noises or lips.
And thinking about that something else hit me. Even thought the media mostly pushes whiteness as the standard of beauty it sometimes also absorbs little bits of characteristic of other ethnic groups. So although you get a Black person who want thinner lips, because they want to look more Caucasian, you also have White person want to fuller lips. Something that is more characteristic of people of African descent.
So now I am wondering does this mean that there are going to be a number of non-Asians wanting to look Asian. So as where the women in the doc wanted to get a fold placed in their eyelids to look more western, will there also be a number of people not of Asian descent wanting to get the folds removed from their eyelids so they look a bit more “exotic”.
If this isn’t happening already I would bet that it is only a matter of time that it does.
The basic reason these women gave to why they wanted to change the way they looked is because they want to fit the Westernized standard of beauty. The reason why they want to fit more into the mode of western Whiteness may either be because they have been bombard with the ideal beauty pushed by the media or even because someone or people in there family push it onto them.
As I was watching this I realized that the ideal that the ideal beauty takes on more Caucasian characteristics is something that looms over many people and can have a strong effect on the self image of non-whites.
For example I know from an African American perspective that there have been in the past whole industries of products made to make on look whiter. Any thing form lye used to burn hair straight to skin lighting creams (which I remember reading a few years ago that similar products are being used in Africa). In fact even today there are Blacks who use plastic surgery to change their noises or lips.
And thinking about that something else hit me. Even thought the media mostly pushes whiteness as the standard of beauty it sometimes also absorbs little bits of characteristic of other ethnic groups. So although you get a Black person who want thinner lips, because they want to look more Caucasian, you also have White person want to fuller lips. Something that is more characteristic of people of African descent.
So now I am wondering does this mean that there are going to be a number of non-Asians wanting to look Asian. So as where the women in the doc wanted to get a fold placed in their eyelids to look more western, will there also be a number of people not of Asian descent wanting to get the folds removed from their eyelids so they look a bit more “exotic”.
If this isn’t happening already I would bet that it is only a matter of time that it does.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Tookie Williams dies
Stanley "Tookie" Williams was put to death today.
This is something I have mixed emotions about. I'm not for the death penalty, mainly for two reasons. First of which I don't care monstrous of an act someone does we are only going down to there level if we just kill them. We could just easily lock them a way for ever so they are not left out to harm people in society. Second is that the legal system is fallible and sometimes the wrong person goes to jail.
Now Tookie is far from innocent. Even if he didn't murder the four people he was convicted for as he says he didn't (note I am not saying he didn't, just that he claims to be innocent) he was a co-founder of the cripes gang. A group that has done there part to kill countless people.
But even though Tookie was far from being an angel, he did began to change his ways. Around 93 he started writing children books which themes where to teach kids not to follow in the same footstep he walked. He also brokered a peace between the gang he founded (the cripes) and the bloods.
And although these things don't make up for what he did, at least Mr. Williams is doing something that will help stop other form doing the same things he did. Which I think clear shows that he had more value to society alive then dead.
This is something I have mixed emotions about. I'm not for the death penalty, mainly for two reasons. First of which I don't care monstrous of an act someone does we are only going down to there level if we just kill them. We could just easily lock them a way for ever so they are not left out to harm people in society. Second is that the legal system is fallible and sometimes the wrong person goes to jail.
Now Tookie is far from innocent. Even if he didn't murder the four people he was convicted for as he says he didn't (note I am not saying he didn't, just that he claims to be innocent) he was a co-founder of the cripes gang. A group that has done there part to kill countless people.
But even though Tookie was far from being an angel, he did began to change his ways. Around 93 he started writing children books which themes where to teach kids not to follow in the same footstep he walked. He also brokered a peace between the gang he founded (the cripes) and the bloods.
And although these things don't make up for what he did, at least Mr. Williams is doing something that will help stop other form doing the same things he did. Which I think clear shows that he had more value to society alive then dead.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
Looks like another French Revolution
Due to high level of unemployment and racism many minority youth in France are rioting. Burning car and whatnot.
Time line
Time line
Monday, October 31, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Bunk on Katrina aftermath
Here is an interview with actor Wendell Pierce who plays Bunk on HBO's The Wire talks about Katrina and his show in an interview for Baltimore City Paper.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
School bans blogs
Pope John XXIII Regional High School has banned the use of blogs and sites like myspace.com or freindster. In the school or at home.
The reasoning sound like they are doing for a good reason. A student was talking to some through her site and it ended up being an adult. The question is, is forcing the ban at the students home life stepping on there free speech rights.
Maybe what needs to be done is the school/parent's drill into the kids head that you don't want to meet people you talk online in real life because 9 time out of 10 they are creepy. Instead of not allowing them the right to express them selves and talk about things important to them like how life sucks or how much they wub 50cent...
wait a minute maybe this ban is not such a bad ideal.
The reasoning sound like they are doing for a good reason. A student was talking to some through her site and it ended up being an adult. The question is, is forcing the ban at the students home life stepping on there free speech rights.
Maybe what needs to be done is the school/parent's drill into the kids head that you don't want to meet people you talk online in real life because 9 time out of 10 they are creepy. Instead of not allowing them the right to express them selves and talk about things important to them like how life sucks or how much they wub 50cent...
wait a minute maybe this ban is not such a bad ideal.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Bush taking it out on those around him
I guess the pressures of being the worlds number one #uck up is getting to him as early this week it was reported by people in the whitehouse that Bush has been taking his anger out on those around him.
It says he is trying to pass the blame on everyone else (wait isn't that the blame game?) except himself. But he is the only one to blame. He's the president and buck stops there. If he doesn't like how thing turned out then that's his bad. He planted the seeds that are now barring fruit, he let out the chickens (chicken-hawks?) that are coming home to roost.
It says he is trying to pass the blame on everyone else (wait isn't that the blame game?) except himself. But he is the only one to blame. He's the president and buck stops there. If he doesn't like how thing turned out then that's his bad. He planted the seeds that are now barring fruit, he let out the chickens (chicken-hawks?) that are coming home to roost.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Rosa Parks dies
I just caught on the news that civil rights leader (best known for her refusal to give up her set for a white man that set of the Montgomery bus boycotts) Rosa Parks has passed away.
Renee Jackson, The daughter of Janet Jackson and DeBarge?
The rumor (I'm not going to say it fact since right now it's just he said/she said with out the she) recently broke that Janet Jackson and James DeBarge have an 18 year old daughter. The child is reported to have been raised by Janet's older sister Rebbie.
I guess there is shock that Janet has a daughter. But giving the fact that Janet kept her marriage to DeBarge private at the time it's not to surprising that she would keep any children that came form that marriage private.
It is interesting to see how fair people will go to keep an image. Janet's marriage and now we know daughter where hidden from public view to keep her virginal image. Yes that right I knew with Janet's more sexualized image people forget that when she was starting out her image was cute and sweat and not sexy and raunchy. And both the marriage and the birth of the baby would have happened between the time of "lets wait awhile" and rhythm Nation, ie when she was still going for the announcing girl image.
I do have to say that I think it was a punk ass move on Young DeBarge (James' brother) for making this info public. If either the parents and/or the daughter released this info that would have been different matter.
I just hope that Renee Jackson know who her parents really where before this news broke because if not that has to be one hell of a shocker and crappy way to find out. Image if your listening to the radio or reading a news site and find out you where lied to about how your parents are.
I guess there is shock that Janet has a daughter. But giving the fact that Janet kept her marriage to DeBarge private at the time it's not to surprising that she would keep any children that came form that marriage private.
It is interesting to see how fair people will go to keep an image. Janet's marriage and now we know daughter where hidden from public view to keep her virginal image. Yes that right I knew with Janet's more sexualized image people forget that when she was starting out her image was cute and sweat and not sexy and raunchy. And both the marriage and the birth of the baby would have happened between the time of "lets wait awhile" and rhythm Nation, ie when she was still going for the announcing girl image.
I do have to say that I think it was a punk ass move on Young DeBarge (James' brother) for making this info public. If either the parents and/or the daughter released this info that would have been different matter.
I just hope that Renee Jackson know who her parents really where before this news broke because if not that has to be one hell of a shocker and crappy way to find out. Image if your listening to the radio or reading a news site and find out you where lied to about how your parents are.
Friday, October 21, 2005
The happiest mug shot I ever saw (Tom Delay)
Is it me or is the smile Tom Delay is giving in his mug shot a bit creepy.
Why is he smiling, my guess he is thinking "ha ha you may have caught my money laundering but at least you didn't find those bodies in my yard"
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Supreme Court for dummies
Funny this review was posted on Amazon
WHEW - Good thing you guys have express shipping, sometimes you have to bone up on con law!, October 19, 2005
Reviewer: Harriet M. (shh!) (White House but not for long!) - See all my reviews
I got this book JUST IN TIME!!! It is COOL!! The Greatest!!! It might be the BEST SUPREME COURT BOOK EVER!! And I bet I am the FIRST WOMAN ever to own it! Trailblazing!
Who knew that Starry Decisis wasn't a galaxy!! This book is filled with goodies like that! I'm not much of a reader, but I am as lucky to have this book as Texas was to have George Bush! I hope Brownback and Leahy haven't read this, so I can surprise them with some of the best bits in my big hearing next month!
WHEW - Good thing you guys have express shipping, sometimes you have to bone up on con law!, October 19, 2005
Reviewer: Harriet M. (shh!) (White House but not for long!) - See all my reviews
I got this book JUST IN TIME!!! It is COOL!! The Greatest!!! It might be the BEST SUPREME COURT BOOK EVER!! And I bet I am the FIRST WOMAN ever to own it! Trailblazing!
Who knew that Starry Decisis wasn't a galaxy!! This book is filled with goodies like that! I'm not much of a reader, but I am as lucky to have this book as Texas was to have George Bush! I hope Brownback and Leahy haven't read this, so I can surprise them with some of the best bits in my big hearing next month!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
How do you stop the youth from taking drugs?
easy you point out that taking drugs is something that the old people do.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/12882880.htm
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/12882880.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)