Ananse: Cultural and Political Expression

WireTap Magazine - Sneakerheads Come Clean

2009-06-08T13:49:00.001-07:00

WireTap Magazine - Sneakerheads Come Clean

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Gregory Brothers Autotune The News

2009-04-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing to say other than this is awesome:

Stephen Colbert v. Michael Steele Rap Battle

2009-03-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Stephen Colbert seems more at ease saying things like "bring it on" & "drop it like it's hot." And we wonder why the Republicans seem so out of touch? Their token Black Guy / Bizarro Obama can't even play his role believable.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Conservative Rap Battle - Michael Steele's Response

comedycentral.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

NASA Name Contest

South Park Explains the Bailout

2009-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Not Matt & Trey's best, but it hey. I can take only so much of talking heads and politicians on both sides of the aisle blabbering on about THE BAILOUT. I know it's terribly un- PC, but the kazoo bit is sorta funny

Ode to Paul Krugman

2009-03-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

This guy Jonathan Mann of Rock Cookie Bottom writes one song a day. This ditty is an ode to NY Times columnist & recent Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. When Obama was putting his administration together I just KNEW he was gonna pick Krugman as Treasury Secretary... alas we got Geithner instead.

Unedited, Uncensored Jon Stewart V. Jim Cramer

2009-03-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

Unedited footage of Jim Cramer appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Where would we be without comedians? When I really think about it, though, how sad is it that the best critical review of the media's coverage of Wall Street comes from the network that brought us Mr. Hanky and Chocolate Salty Balls? I love South Park, but ...really?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Why I Love Jon Stewart & The Daily Show

2009-03-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Jon Stewart's verbal demolition of CNBC and their misguided/erroneous/hypocritical half-assed coverage of Wall Street. If only "legitimate" news orgs could be this thorough and honest...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

4,000 Americans killed in Iraq

2008-03-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last we saw the 5th Anniversary of the war in Iraq. Today news broke that we have also lost 4,000 Americans to this unjust, un-American, and irresponsible war.

In honor of the fallen The Huffington Post's Nico Pitney has put together a mosaic of "the 4,000 brave men and women who sacrificed everything for us -- and the two men who would continue this great tragedy, despite the cost to our soldiers, our military, and our nation."

Please note that since some photos of fallen U.S. soldiers are unavailable, there are duplicates.

Jack Nicholson 4 Hillary

2008-03-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Did the WGA strike leave them with too much time on their hands or is Hollywood's interest legit? Some are definitely treating the election like the latest It Bag, but I think others are genuinely concerned.

Here is Jack Nicholson's foray into the political endorsement arena.

(From "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" to "The Shining" to "As Good As It Gets"...isn't he great!?)

Brave New Films: "Fox Attacks Obama"

2008-02-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

From Brave New Films. Composed a year ago, but even more relevant today now that Obama is the front runner. Watch the video...if you appreciate the work they are doing head over to https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/552/p/10040/paywhatyouwantcredits for a really creative, sneaky way to fight the right.

Beat Boxin' Bush

2008-02-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Found this on Slate V:
"Beat-Boxin' Around the Bush
George Bush has got skillz. In this hilariously edited viral video, President George Bush earns his applause by beatboxing his way through a speech. Unfortunately, the only recognizable words are Cheney and weapons, but we all know how that story goes"

Brave New Films Live Coverage of Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

Live coverage of Super Tuesday presented by Brave New Films and the Young Turks. Scheduled from 4:00pm EST 'til 1:00am EST

The Words That Were Used - New York Times Graphic

2008-01-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

Justice and Equality

2008-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Although we are a society that takes pride in the belief that “all men are created equal,” we also celebrate the individual, something you cannot do without first accepting that we are, in fact, unequal and have varying talents and characteristics. When we praise someone for his or her intelligence, athletic ability, or whatever, we are automatically acknowledging that there are people of less intelligence and fewer physical capabilities.

Not only do we understand that people are unequal but we routinely set standards and expectations based on these differences. We mainly see this division in sports and our education system where people are separated based on gender, age, and of course ability. The reason for this unequal treatment is obvious – it would be unjust (and unrealistic) to do otherwise.

I think this process lends itself to less obvious and more uncomfortable situations as well. Just as an NFL coach places only the best on the field each Sunday and cuts players who are too small or too slow from the team, we as a society should not be ashamed to do the same thing when it comes to areas of more social importance. Characteristics such as race, gender, and class background obviously do not determine whether or not someone is qualified to become a doctor, a general, or a judge, but certainly there are some traits that members of these professions should have. This not only benefits those who make the cut, but those who do not as well. Imagine a game where professional athletes lined up against an average American couch potato.

Though it sounds like discrimination, I think this realistic view is equality and justice at their bests. The terms equality and justice for most people boil down to one thing (at least in a social or moral context) – fair treatment. And you cannot achieve true fairness without taking in the whole picture.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Mountaintop Speech

2008-01-20T11:50:00.001-08:00

Here is a recording of Dr. King's last speech. He was killed 24 hours after he spoke these prophetic words.

Hillary Clinton's Comment on MLK and LBJ...Racist?

2008-01-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

From The Daily Show:

The comments from Senator Clinton have pushed race to the forefront of the election, an issue that (surprisingly) hasn't gotten that much attention until recently. Many have jumped at the chance to use her comments to brand the senator, who has spen much of her career closely aligned with the African American community a closet racist.

I'm Black and I don't find Clinton's remarks racist or offensive at all (unlike Biden's "Articulate and Clean" remark). I don't agree with her though. I've always thought that LBJ doesn't get nearly enough credit for his role in the Civil Rights Movement...he was far more pro-active than JFK. That said, it was King and the countless unnamed Blacks who brought about TRUE change. It was the sit-ins, the marches, the boycotts, the four little girls bombed while in church...it took their sacrifices to bring attention to what was going on, to make people care about what was going on. The government's laws paled in comparison to the unwritten Jim Crow laws that were enforced.

Political Compass Test

2008-01-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

I literally StumbleUpon'd The Political Compass, a website that looks to go beyond the traditional left-right political division. They offer a test that breaks down where you stand and compares you to current and past world leaders. (My results are below)

"If we recognise that this is essentially an economic line it's fine, as far as it goes. We can show, for example, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot, with their commitment to a totally controlled economy, on the hard left. Socialists like Mahatma Gandhi and Robert Mugabe would occupy a less extreme leftist position. Margaret Thatcher would be well over to the right, but further right still would be someone like that ultimate free marketeer, General Pinochet.

That deals with economics, but the social dimension is also important in politics. That's the one that the mere left-right scale doesn't adequately address. So we've added one, ranging in positions from extreme authoritarian to extreme libertarian.

Both an economic dimension and a social dimension are important factors for a proper political analysis. By adding the social dimension you can show that Stalin was an authoritarian leftist (ie the state is more important than the individual) and that Gandhi, believing in the supreme value of each individual, is a liberal leftist. While the former involves state-imposed arbitary collectivism in the extreme top left, on the extreme bottom left is voluntary collectivism at regional level, with no state involved. Hundreds of such anarchist communities exisited in Spain during the civil war period.

You can also put Pinochet, who was prepared to sanction mass killing for the sake of the free market, on the far right as well as in a hardcore authoritarian position. On the non-socialist side you can distinguish someone like Milton Friedman, who is anti-state for fiscal rather than social reasons, from Hitler, who wanted to make the state stronger, even if he wiped out half of humanity in the process.

The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism (i.e. extreme deregulated economy)"

Here are my results:
Economic Left/Right: -5.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.33

Please check out the website and take the test yourself

Election Night Bloopers

2008-01-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

From Slate Magazine

Plea for Communication in Volatile Times

2008-01-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

Record turnout in both Iowa and New Hampshire proves that the battle cry of the democratic candidates (and a few of the Republicans) is true – Americans want change. Regardless of age, political affiliation, their sex, race, their economic background we are all dissatisfied with the present and worried about our future.

This collective discontent can go one of two waves: Tear us apart and cripple (if not destroy) our country or it can unite and rejuvenate us.

The deciding factor of which path we take, I believe is communication. Open, honest, earnest communication – not with our friends, but with those outside of our comfort circles, people with views and ideas different than our own – is the only thing that will carry us out of the storm we are facing. Sure it’s nice and cathartic to vent with people you agree with, but nothing happens ‘til we share our thoughts and struggles with people who aren’t like us. I say, get out there and discuss, discuss, discuss.

Start a few friendly arguments; just remember to take in as much as you give out. Communication isn’t a one way process…listening and receiving are elemental parts of any successful dialogue. Then what? Learn, collaborate, and finally DO.

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." Gandhi

T-Shirt Collage

2008-01-10T09:08:00.001-08:00

available at http://www.cafepress.com/ananse

New Hampshire Says Our Economy Sucks...

2008-01-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

What issue loomed in the minds of New Hampshire voters as they crammed into polling stations to leacve their influential mark on the presidential elections? Immigrations? The war in Iraq? Global warming? Homeland Security? Nope, all of these headline grabbing topics took a backseat to the very unsexy subject of our struggling economy.
(http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5439356.html, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,321191,00.html)

Republicans, Democrats, Independants...all cited worry of the nation's economic (and their own financial) future as the driving force behind their choice for president. The issues I listed earlier, the ones that seem to get the most attention, are without a doubt serious, but it is hard to worry about them when you are struggling to pay your bills or feed your children.

Obama and Huckabee win Iowa

2008-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

From The Huffington Post:

2008-01-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

I'm still undecided. Definitely Democrat, but I'm torn between the top three frontrunners. I think I'm more closely aligned with Edwards, who seems more populist than the other two. At the same time, as a black woman, both Hillary and Barack are so different than the status quo, so identifiable (the fact that I naturally refer to them by their first names, while using the former senator's last is evidence of this) that I am able to make excuses for some of their more moderate views. Is that a bad thing? I don't know. I can honestly say that I would be proud to call either of the Big 3 my president, which I don't think the Republicans can say.

P.S. I'm working on my Hillary design...

Voting and YOU PSA

2008-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

From www.declareyourself.com. A fifties style PSA annoucement featuring Super Bad's Mclovin (Chris Mintz-Plasse), the Daily Show's Ed Helms, and the always funny Rachael Harris.

Iowa Caucus

2008-01-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Iowans...

Elections officially begin tomorrow in Iowa...Liberal, Conservative. Democrat, Republican. Just Vote! The stakes are certainly high enough. What good is a democracy if people don't use the power they are given? We see what is going on in Kenya, Pakistan, hell we can bring things closer to home with the debacle in Florida to see the value of one's vote. Angry at our struggling economy? Saddened by the deaths of U.S. soldiers and innocent civilians in Iraq? Scared a crazy liberal will take over the country? Whatever your position, please take a stand. Voting is the simplest form of activism.