Fairytale Jesus

HEATWAVE VOL 1: SUMMER TRAP ESSENTIALS [MIXED BY SLOPPP]

2014-05-13T21:04:00.001-04:00

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DRAKE x CASHMERE CAT - NO LIE (SLOPPP BOOTLEG)

2014-05-11T21:29:00.001-04:00

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PREVIEW DRAKE x CASHMERE CAT - NO LIE (FEAT 2CHAINZ) [SLOPPP BOOTLEG]

2014-05-09T19:03:00.001-04:00

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SLOPPP - LAZARUS (ORIGINAL MIX)

2014-05-07T01:25:00.001-04:00

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SLOPPP - LAZARUS (DEEP VIBE HOUSE)

2014-05-07T00:16:00.001-04:00

I guess I make house music now...

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SLOPPP - BUFFALO

2014-04-27T00:39:00.001-04:00

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SLOPPP - BUFFALO

2014-04-26T23:42:00.001-04:00

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THE HEAT: EPISODE 9 (MIXED BY SLOPPP) [WEEKLY TRAP/BASS ROUNDUP MIX]

2014-04-26T07:43:00.001-04:00

ONLY NEW BANGERS. TRACKLIST SOON. PM FOR INFO

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MAJOR LAZER - Aerosol Can (SLOPPP VIP BEATPORT MIX)

2014-04-22T01:42:00.001-04:00

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gLAdiator - Assembly Line (SLOPPP SNAZZY BOUNCE EDIT)

2014-04-15T23:34:00.001-04:00

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gLAdiator - Assembly Line (SLOPPP REMIX)

2014-04-15T19:27:00.001-04:00

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SLOPPP PRESENTS: TOPICAL TROPICAL TRAP SHIT WEEKLY MEGAMIX

2014-04-09T19:12:00.001-04:00

TRACKLIST: gLAdiator - Assembly Line Atmosphere - Kanye West Armin Van Buuren X Hardwell- Ping Pong (FuegoBeatz Festival Trap Remix) Simtem - Don't Like Me Riot Ten - Double Cup, Im Pourin (Original Trap Mix_ XOXO - Drumline Wizardbeats - SPICE YungSatan x B.LEWIS - Dreamy PhaseOne x Hydraulix - Bruk Out PoniiBoi - Ya Mamma (Duwell Remix) KiTheory - Open Wound (ODESZA Remix) ID - Under My Sensii (WILLYP Remix) Jameston Thieves ft. Ben Z - Moonlight Tropkillaz x Party Favor- Dat Booty Tyga ft. Lil Wayne - Good Day (TOKEN bootleg) Iamsu! ft. 2Chainz & Sage the Gemeni - Only That Real (Instant Party! Remix) The Chainsmokers - Selfie (Aero Chord Remix) Gold Whistle - ZAP! POW! DIE! (Buzz Trillington Remix) Yo Gotti ft. Young Jeezy - Act Right (NATO Feelz Remix) Yuri Viroj - Pop That! (Original Mix)

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$TUFF YOUR PARENTS HATE TRVPING TWERKING SMOKE SESH MIX

2014-04-04T20:50:00.001-04:00

FROM MY HEART TO YOUR EARS. ENJOY AND SIGN ME. TRACKLIST:

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OK Magazine: So Meta

2013-02-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

I was in line to check out at my corner bodega and I happened upon this cover of the current

OK Magazine which teases a headline story about Kanye West "leaking" the story about his wife's pregnancy. READERS NOTE: HER NAME HAS NEVER AND WILL NEVER APPEAR IN THIS BLOG SO GET OVER IT. The Kanye headline might not appear to be anything unusual or significant on the surface; it has the familiar aesthetics routine buzzwords that make this garbage instantly recognizable to just about every demographic in every geographic corner of the US. But the story itself makes this issue worth talking about, because the story goes out of its way to make the point that tabloid sleaze and the mechanics of the industry that go into creating it are at best creepy, at worst unethical.

Pope Benedict XVI Abdicates

2013-02-11T16:26:00.002-05:00

Pope Benedict's resignation from his diamond encrusted throne in Vatican City proved a shock to believers and nonbelievers across the world. His short term (2005-2013) seemed plagued by scandal and misfortune, ironic considering that his position is supposedly quasi-divine. And what, you might ask, was the reason for Ratzinger's sudden departure? His statement cited "advanced age" and a physical and mental inability to hold the position of head of the Catholic Church. This, of course, flies in the face of historical precedent and gives credence to theories that the Church is getting ahead of a breaking scandal.

Sure, it's a hunch...and even though Ratzy is undoubtedly an old fuck, his medical history looks pristine compared to the previous Pontiff John Paul II who was diagnosed with Parkinsons during his tenure. True to the Papal formula, John Paul II served until his death in April 2005, and even made several creepy appearances that demonstrated the extent his mental deterioration shortly before he died. The likely rationale behind this precedent is the confusion of having an "ex-Pope". The ex-Pope concept poses a spiritual paradox for believers, and it is therefore an unideal spot for the church to find itself in following years of sexual abuse scandals and a world which is generally abandoning faith for more logical, intellectual and secular alternatives. If Rat

Manti Te'o: A Lesson In Deception

2013-01-19T05:18:00.001-05:00

Notre Dame linebacker, and potential 'mo (or queeb/quay) Manti Te'o has dominated the news cycle since a deadspin post broke the sensational story about the All American's deceased girlfriend. If you're reading this blog, you already know the essentials. Girlfriend > dead grandma > dead girlfriend > phone call revealing a hoax...the whole thing is just juicy.

But there's been one missing, crucial piece of the media jigsaw puzzle: Manti Te'o. Until tonight, Te'o has kept quiet (which has only served to add fuel to the fire of widespread criticism of his outrageous story.) The media has, in general, has avoided critique of the Te'o defense, which is more ridiculous when juxtaposed against his previous descriptions of the girl he described as the "love of his life." Late Friday night, an audio only [red flag] interview was conducted and released by ESPN, and if things were bad for the lyin' Hawaiian before, they're about to get even dicier.

The Te'o defense now includes the admission that his accounts of meeting the purported "hoaxer" were forged. Manti explains that this was a cover-up to prevent his peers, teammates, and family from getting the impression that he is "weird". As it turns out, nothing convinces people you're a normal guy quite like a national media inquisition of your sanity.

One would assume that an honest Manti would have no reason to decline a video interview, as his reaction should be genuine if he's telling the truth. The last thing his PR team wants is doubt and when you don't show your face in 'the big reveal', you brew up a mess of speculation. Jeremy Schaap, the ESPN reporter conducting the interview, admitted that Te'o seemed genuine and "unflinching" in his responses, but eventually conceded that audio alone was probably a "bad choice".

It's going to be amazing to watch Te'o squirm through this process as more facts are uncovered, followed by the subsequent, douce-chilly "come-clean" press conference. But the fact remains...Manti Te'o is, at best, so dumb that there's no reason for him to be in higher education in the first place;at worst a compulsive (and excellently terrible) liar. I'm putting my chips on the latter.

LIVE FROM NYC: HURRICANE SANDY

2012-10-28T19:40:00.001-04:00

Batten down the hatches! Board up the windows! Hurricane Sandy is set to land in NYC around 12pm EDT tomorrow, but as we've seen countless times before....it's the lead-up to the storm that proves most entertaining. I'll be liveblogging the chaos from my apartment on E 90th Street, in case you're interested in seeing stuffy Park Ave'ers freak out about a little rain/wind.

7:36 PM EDT (10/28/2012) - Subway service has been shut down. MTA hasn't announced when it will resume or even when they'll be making a decision about reopening. If you are a white person who happens to be stuck above 110th Street, may God have mercy on your soul...you're not going anywhere.

A 24/7 fruit stand packs up in preparation for Hurricane Sandy on 90th Street & 3rd Ave.

7:52 PM EDT (10/28/2012) - Here's weather.com's impossible to understand "Interactive Tracker" of Sandy's projected path, if you want to play along at home: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker/2012/sandy

8:02 PM EDT (10/28/2012) - All's quiet on the Eastern Seaboard. Forecasts indicate that the rain should start early tomorrow morning around 2am.

8:21PM EDT (10/28/2012) - Grand Central Station is locked and shut down.

"KloZed 4 dA hurricane. sux toO b u SMH"

8:31pm EDT (10/28/2012) - Twitter is currently flooded (pun intended) with loads of new, unfunny novelty accounts about Sandy. Here are a few of my personal favs.

Mitt Romney's Storm Tips

XxHurricaneSandyxX

Sandy Storms (Spongebob x Hurricane crossover)
Sandy (anthropomorphized)

9:33 PM EDT (10/28/2012) - New York Stock Exchange will be closed tomorrow. Initially, the reports claimed that the NYSE would remain open and that brokers were being offered hotels tonight in Manhattan. It's a historic event for Wall Street; the first weather-related closure in 27 years. [LINK]

11:18 PM EDT (10/28/2012) - Still no rain. Wind is stronger than usual, but nothing substantial. Playing some League of Legends until things start to kick off.

12:42 AM EDT (10/29/2012) - Get ready! Get set....

1:31 AM EDT (10/29/2012) - In preparation for the storm to start, here's a short explanation from The Atlantic about why this storm may be historic. [LINK]

5:44 AM EDT (10/29/2012) - Sandy has a subreddit.[LINK]

Wind is picking up, but no precipitation in NYC just yet.

4:06 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - Starting to get bad here. Took some pictures and video, currently uploading first album of the storm.

4:48 PM EDT (10/29/2012) -

Steady rain and heavy wind gusts starting.
FDR is flooded [LINK]
Central Park closed to public [LINK]

courtesy of Gothamist

5:35 PM EDT (10/29/2012) -

Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridge to shut down at 7pm EDT
All Broadway shows canceled for Monday

7:39 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - Okay, here we go.. looks like Sandy will make landfall in NYC within the hour.

Batter Park broke the current flood record @ 10.69 feet (7:30pm). The previous record was set in 1821.[LINK]
Holland/Battery tunnels are closed. Noone is going in or out of Manhattan until, at the very least, tomorrow morning.
A photo is making the rounds of a UWS apartment where the facade has been ripped off. [LINK]

7:50pm EDT (10/29/2012) - Battery Park now at 12.5 feet under water. Terrible, terrible damage.

8:16 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - First death in NYC. 29 year old man pinned under a tree in Flushing, Queens.

8:36 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - Wow. Here's the flooding in Atlantic City, NJ [LINK]

8:46 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - Took some video of Sandy landfall.

9:00 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - Glad that I'm living uptown [LINK]

9:14 PM EDT (10/29/2012) -

5 dead in Tri-State Area
LaGuardia closed due to flooding
MTA - "Rumors are wrong. The MTA cannot assess damage until Tuesday. It is way too early for a subway reopening timetable."

9:44 PM EDT (10/29/2012) - ~~NYSE Trading Floor under 3 feet of water. [LINK]~~

**EDIT**This story is false.

9:55 PM EDT (10/29/2012) -

Amazing video of transformer blowing on 14th & FDR [LINK]
Water up to Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan

AMERICAN IDIOT: Lil Wayne

2012-10-18T21:05:00.001-04:00

Some video footage of recently incarcerated rapper Lil Wayne has cropped up on the web, where we witness Wayne answering deposition questions in a civil suit he's filed against producer Quincy Jones. Contained in the video is some of the best recorded footage of the juxtaposition between [for lack of better terminology] street 'attitude'/vernacular and traditional or common English. I just read the previous sentence back to myself and I have apparently aged 40 years more than I was aware.

My sudden outbreak of old-ness aside, there's something inherently infuriating that comes with watching a millionaire entertainer act out like a 5 year old, whilst attempting to retain the rough and tumble attitude and broken english that we've come to associate with the high crime, inner city population. Wayne, at one point, lays his head in his hands and refuses to answer the line of questioning that Jones's attorney presents, only answering with reductive mumbles of "I don't recall" and "I can't remember". Later in the video, when asked what image he is presenting to the media- Wayne again shoots down the question, is told by the presiding judge that he must answer, and decides to inform the attorney that "he [the judge] can't save you in the real world". One can extrapolate that Wayne saw the judge's support of the line of questioning as backing up /siding with the attorney and wanted to remind him that rational debate has no place in his world and violence would reign supreme if the joust were happening in a different context. It's really just an embarrassing 6-minute display of the apathetic and anti-intellectual approach that is "cool" to a substantial block of young people. It's par for the course for Lil Wayne, we've seen this and much worse from him before....but god damn is it frustrating to see him thrive while there are tens of thousands of infinitely more talented (and better adjusted) artists that aren't able to scrape by.

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm having a hard time defining this culture without giving the impression that I'm racist or a class-elitist. I'd hope that the reader can identify with what I'm referring to when I talk about the "thug life" attitude that is seen in every walk of life- white, black, hispanic, or otherwise.

I've been fascinated by this subject for some time, admittedly as a guilty-pleasure endeavor, but I want to know what makes these guys tick. In Wayne's case, here's someone who was brought up in the music industry and was prominently featured on a #1 record at age 17 (he was discovered by music mogul/Cash Money founder Birdman at 15), holds the current all-time record for most #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles, and is estimated to have a net worth of around $95 million. With such incredible and historic success, one might expect Wayne to be a positive force in the world (or even just to himself and those surrounding him), but he's been able to consistently prove that he's still an unassimilated and uneducated low-life through his behavior in the public eye and an impressive rap sheet. This gives him continued credibility in the eyes of his fans, who demand their wealthy idols continue to live the "thug" life. It's similar to an indie music fan obsessing and raging over the mainstream popularity of a previously undiscovered band...with one key difference: no Animal Collective fan is pining for Avey Tare to be arrested on a felony weapons possession charge. It's an old and oft repeated story- Tupac stood trial and served time for a shooting, TI spent time in jail for possession of some heavy duty firepower, Lil Boosie was (until recently) on death row for a fatal killing, and the list goes on and on. The culture of gangster rap is terribly destructive and perpetuates the cyclical nature of crime and stalled momentum that plagues the inner cities.

Lil Wayne also has a history of acting out on camera. I'd recommend the documentary "The Carter" to anyone willing to put up with an hour of grade A, god-tier immaturity. He's known for latching on to trends and meshing them into the culture he's pandering to, the best example of this is his "new" obsession of skateboarding. I'll leave out the details, as this EXCEPTIONAL display of his skillz should paint the picture for you. This is all extremely frivolous, if you don't consider that he uses these platforms to claim that he's promoting "positivity" and that anyone who is critical of the shallow attempt to expose his brand is a blind "hater". It's another common theme in the world of BET to use buzzwords like positivity to stick a better public persona to their name. They aren't promoting positivity in any sense, and I believe they do quite the opposite.

I hope for a world where we can leave this flavor of nonsense behind. If more inner city youth were listening to and taking to heart artists like Mos Def or Talib Kweli, they'd be inspired to do better for themselves and see how they can make real progress for themselves and their communities. Wu-Tang legend GZA recently announced a series of albums centered around the theme of science with lyrics that he hopes will "hook a new generation on [his] love of science." GZA is not from a privileged family, was not given any spectacular opportunity that might have sparked this; it's a personal quest that came about from a moment of revelation when he discovered the illuminating magic of science. If GZA can sell as many records as Lil Wayne, we might just be okay.

"Virtual Crack" or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Web

2012-10-18T01:11:00.001-04:00

I might need to change the theme of my (seldomly updated) blog from my thoughts on atheism in America to some sort of "why the internet is the best shit ever (and i mean ever, ever) and how we've already taken it for granted...less than 20 years into mainstream adoption" soapbox where I tell you that anyone with the ability to read this has witnessed a modern miracle. Honestly, I don't think many people would disagree with the overall sentiment there and most just haven't taken the time to, or aren't reflective enough to put it into that sort of context. It may be the case that a similar cultural reaction followed the printing press in 15th century Europe, but I'd contest that it is important to consciously recognize what an impressive and useful concept we've discovered. I think we're hindering potential progress by allowing technology to become a mundane, almost burdening staple of our lives that is more of an expectation than an exciting portal into another "world" (ANOTHER WORLD, MAAAAAAANNN!)

Recently, I've discovered that I need to "sync" my online presence with my tangible meat-body. It's been therapeutic to abandon the shame of spending hundreds of hours each week I spend learning by watching documentaries, reading news articles/opinion/book excerpts, and engaging in meaningful and impassioned debate with others online. The time I spend online is accelerating the speed at which I am able to consume information, and I've chosen to spend a substantial chunk of this time doing things which I think will help me grow and evolve. Sure I've watched the past 2 years worth of the "FailArmy" YouTube weekly series, and I have a stage-4 terminal hook on every TV sitcom, but I honestly enjoy the time I spend accomplishing the objectives that primary school and college led me to believe was, indeed, learning. Wikipedia is well on the way to making learning "cool", and there's nothing we need more in the world right now than anything we can get that resembles a learning Renaissance. What I'm referring to is a redefinition of traditional learning, but couldn't that be just another really, really good side effect of a connected planet?

So why is it that we already feel entitled to modern tech, and every mouth-breather Tea Bag rally participant and strikingly dull/apathetic teenager feels tech-savvy enough to complain about their iPhone? Silicon Valley can't completely thwart responsibility, as their marketing campaigns were/are based on their tech being a lifeline, rather than a better-than-the-last-one magic wand that waves you in to a different dimension. Their strategy is vulnerable to the reality that any slip-up creates immediate animosity, which eventually leads to (apparently) a weird arrogance that obscures the larger picture benefit of possessing the tech at all. But we also need to consider that the public at large has gone all-in on a concept that it seems to reject at some fundamental level. If you can fix a computer, you're still a geek. If you've got a World of Warcraft character that's higher than level 50, you still probably live in your parents basement. These notions are the remains of a foregone era and contribute to the level contempt that many have to their precious technology. It's better to yell at or slam your phone than it is to put on your thinking cap and work through the problem (consequently learning the software in the process.) We want to take our stuff out of the box, turn it on, and GO. No assembly required; nonexistent learning curve. As we move forward, I'd like to see more necessity for manual processes and a deeper understanding of the tools we're all now using. Who knows, maybe when we reach Singularity, we will have been able to deselect the dull, uninspired masses. Oh god, I think I just advocated eugenics.....uh, nothing to see here, move along!

I know, I know, I'm preaching in a vacuum here.. and even if there was some directive I could offer to set us on a better course...it's far too grandiose and unrealistic of a mission to even consider. We've got more urgent matters to attend to. I can only hope that as time passes, we begin to recognize the game changer we witnessed as the cables were laid and the world became, for the first time, connected.

The Disconnected Life

2012-08-27T21:28:00.001-04:00

I'm laying back on my couch, writing this post from my iPhone via the miracle we refer to as the 4g data network. In front of me sit two working MacBook Pros with 18GB of combined RAM and nearly a terabyte of total hard drive storage. Yet, earlier today, in an incident which could only have been caused by the dark lord Morgoth, these computers were instantly rendered useless. The internet...turned off.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours; at the time of writing this I've been down for 5 hours. Even with a completely capable (albeit sporting a cracked screen) smartphone and a lightening-fast mobile connection, I can't help but feel isolated, unprepared for some disaster. If I might happen to need to know the highest grossing Patrick Swayze film...I'm totally fucked. I bet it's Dirty Dancing. No, wait, it could be or Red Dawn. I'll be right back. I've got to switch to my imdb app and find out...this is going to bug me

***writers note: "Ghost" is the top earning Patrick Swayze film with an international gross of $517.6 million***

But this down time has given me some time to think and even to read (on my Kindle.) I can't help but wonder what life will be like after the oil dries up, modern society collapses, and we regress to the analog world. Technology has provided us with a mask, allowing ourselves to mold our digital image or brand through editable communication and a multitude of canvases where we're encouraged to publish our support of ideas that we perceive as complementary to your brand. Social media has given us an incredible ability to connect with our peers, but it's also disconnected us from who we really are as we continue to buy more into our own digital image even if it's detrimental to the forces in our lives that shaped us pre-Facebook (or pre-MySpace for most under 30.)

The concept of proofreading all correspondence is quickly cornering the market. Phone calls seem awkward and inefficient now. I can be simultaneously writing an email on my computer and answer multiple text messages as they come in, whereas I would need to devote my entire attention to one person if I were restricted to phone conversation. Technology is fragmenting our attention and dehumanizing our concept of the other people in "meat space" (shout to duncan trussell family hour. www.duncantrussell.com)

In all likelihood, this is probably an inevitable social phenomena. "Moore's Law", the observation that the capabilities of computer chipsets double every 4 years, and the subsequent theories of technological "singularity" would suggest that this is one of many areas that will force a psychological and/or physical evolution of humans to adapt to a changing technological and biological landscape

While I would agree with much of these hypothesizes, I'm worried that this development will be interrupted by our own flaws. Our dependable on fossil fuels, our inability to resolve disagreement without violence, and our general arrogance about our place in the universe are all hindrances to our prosperity in a world where we are openly dependent on this technology (and more directly the connection provided by the tech.)

Let's just hope that the growth rate of emerging technologies outpaces the consequences of the stupidity it's up against. If not, I'm afraid you're all doomed to my hell of blinking modem lights.

My thumbs hurt, and my internet...it's still down. I wonder what the lowest grossing Patrick Swayze film was? Fuck.

Evil: What's In a Word?

2012-07-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

After Friday night and the "Dark Knight Rises" massacre at a theatre in Aurora, CO, America is in a deep collective search for a motive that would cause James Holmes to shoot 70+ people before turning himself in to police outside of the screening. But, as is usually the case, the conversation is never elevated to a point where we can investigate societal, political, or idealogical factors that would turn a quiet college student into a mass-murderer. Instead, we label the perpetrator as "crazy", "maniacal", or "evil"; and we allow ourselves to avoid confronting the true reason that Holmes opened fire in a theater of innocent moviegoers.

Of course, this psychological deception is par for the course here in America. The most obvious example of this is the September 11th attack, where (if the official story is to be believed) radical Islamic terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into designated targets, killing almost 4,000. The attack was quickly labeled as an "act of evil" and less than 2 months later...we had boots in the ground in Afghanistan to find and destroy Al-Qaeda cells. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to turn these tragic circumstances into an analytical study of why these terrorists wanted to commit such heinous violence and use this information to promote a more harmonious world. It wouldn't have been very hard, either. The easiest element of the attack to deconstruct would be the targets themselves. The Pentagon is a universal symbol of war, and commands that have been issued from here have affected the majority of the world's population. The World Trade Center is an international financial hub and represents both the good and the bad of our global monetary system. Knowing these basic facts about the targets, we're prepared to investigate the true motive of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and come to a greater understanding of their grievances against the US. This, by no means, exonerates the crime. Nor does it mean that the attacks were in the slightest bit valid. It does, however, paint a picture of the world we're actually living in, and exposes the foundation of international resentment of America.

So here we are, almost 11 years later; and still most people would tell you that the reason the planes were crashed was because the people committing the crime were "evil". We're told that the followers radical Islam "hate our freedom" or "hate or way of life", but these claims are without merit. In truth, the Bin Laden tapes and those of other high ranking Al-Qaeda officials detail a multitude of injustices that they feel the American government is responsible for, including the support of Israel and the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden was cast as the super-villain, hellbent on the destruction of a people who believed in democracy. I implore you to watch these videos, and to take notice of the mild-mannered criticism of American foreign policy; contrast this to the picture painted by the government and the media. Again, this does not excuse the violence...but it serves to show that we're not living in the black/white world where someone kills because they are inherently "evil".

Ultimately, I think that the Dark Knight Rises shooting will have more complex motivations than the 9/11 attacks. If the reports are correct and Holmes was "playing" The Joker, I suspect that the mythos of the character will be of great importance to uncovering why this happened. [SUGGESTION: A thorough reading of Graham Greene's "The Destructors" would probably be beneficial to anyone looking to seriously investigate or understand this weekend's event.]

But if we again cover our eyes, and continue to label Holmes as simply "crazy", "evil" or any other meaningless blanket term...we risk a complete misunderstanding of his motives and will be unable to find creative solutions to prevent similar attacks.

We'll all learn a great deal about James Holmes in the coming weeks as the investigation into this tragedy ramps up. And as the facts start coming out, try to remember the danger in dismissing violent acts as simply "evil".

Why We Shouldn't Be Praising Barack Obama For His Support of Same-Sex Marriage

2012-05-10T16:22:00.001-04:00

Today should have been a hopeful day. On the heels of yesterday’s successful vote to amend the North Carolina State Constitution to ban gay marriage, the internet quickly and vociferously decried the intolerance we witnessed with the passing of A1. I was relieved to see the overwhelming opposition of this amendment through discussions on a multitude of politically neutral online communities and in the columns of today’s (supposed-to-be politically neutral) papers. My faith in the conjecture that the majority of well-informed, rational Americans did not see gay marriage as a “real” issue anymore was quickly reaffirmed, as the conclusion of this morning’s discussion tended to be that this amendment was archaic at best.

But this afternoon, President Barack Obama announced that he now supports same-sex marriage. Even though I believe that this is a step in the right direction, and that the effects of this decision will be advantageous for the LGBTQ community… I don’t think we should be praising President Obama for finally adopting a policy that grants a large group of Americans such a basic human right. Furthermore, we should question the integrity of this decision given the events in North Carolina yesterday, and the falling poll numbers of the Obama campaign.

Since starting his political career in the Illinois Senate in 1996, President Obama has held a number of different stances about same-sex marriage. Some extensive independent research led me to his Wikipedia entry, which chronicles the President’s shifting stance on the issue:

Obama supported legalizing same-sex marriage when he first ran for the Illinois Senate in 1996, was undecided about legalizing same-sex marriage when he ran for re-election to the Illinois Senate in 1998, and supported civil unions but not same-sex marriage when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and for U.S. President in 2008.

The President claims that his stance on same-sex marriage has “evolved”, and that’s fine. It’s sets a good example for his constituents to challenge their beliefs and adapt to the shifting moral zeitgeist. But we can’t ignore the context in which this decision was presented. It’s no secret that this will be a difficult campaign for the President. While his 2008 strategy focused on changing the corrupt landscape of Beltway politics, he’s now going to have to convince the electorate that he’s been effective in his first term in bringing the change that he promised. This will be a daunting task with our dismal unemployment numbers, a still stagnant economy, and a few failed attempts of pushing new legislature through Congress. Obama, though I believe he will secure a second term, will need to insure that people view him as the lesser of two evils in November. So when North Carolina passes such a widely criticized amendment (on an issue that resonates with his base), it’s a great opportunity to win back the support of Democrats who saw his strategy of excessive compromise over the past 4 years as proof that “their man” wasn’t who he had claimed to be. This political posturing is exactly what he rallied against in his previous Presidential campaign and might lead some to question his sincerity regarding his revised position on mariage equality.

Obama’s need to demonstrate his commitment to the liberal platform might have driven him to endorse gay marriage, but it doesn’t make it legitimate and more importantly, it doesn’t make him any more likely to move forward with legislature that would establish same-sex marriage as a valid institution. There’s a laundry list of unfulfilled promises from the 2008 campaign, some unsuccessful due to partisan interference and others were simply not explored. I think it’s highly unlikely that today’s announcement will manifest itself in any way in the agenda of a second-term Obama presidency.

EDIT 4.10.12 - Obama HQ has confirmed that this is a personal viewpoint and will not be explored at a Federal level.

The issue of same-sex marriage has galvanized the political arena for years, but recently we’ve seen an evolution of public opinion, stemming largely from the operations of a well-organized rights movement. Recent data from PRC polls show a 17% increase in the public support of marriage equality rights in the last decade (from 30% favoring in 2004, to 47% favoring in 2012) and subsequently, several states have adopted legislature which recognizes same-sex marriage. Barack Obama should not be commended for adopting the position that grants fair treatment to his electorate this late in the game. We’re almost to the tipping point where we can safely claim that the majority of Americans support a culturally redefined ideal of marriage equality, and we should hold our supposedly progressive President accountable for carrying out his first term without this perspective.

THIS GUY

2012-01-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

Alabama Town Gives Offenders Choice: Jail or Church.

2011-09-25T14:24:00.002-04:00

In a move of unprecedented stupidity, the town of Bay Minette, Alabama is set to begin a new sentencing program where some convicted criminals will be given the option to choose to choose to go to Church over a jail sentence. The offender would be sentenced to mandated weekly attendance at an institution of their choosing, and would need to meet weekly with the head of the congregation and parole officers. But, is this really a viable option? Do we really want to "re-moralize" people through institutions that have relied on the threat of eternal torture as their primary means of deterrence for the past 2000 years? What similar options are Bay Minette officials prepared to offer atheist offenders?

As you would expect, an onslaught of civil liberties lawyers have challenged the program, stating

"It is a fundamental principle of the Establishment Clause that the government cannot force someone to attend church...When the alternative to going to church is going to jail, the so-called `choice' available to offenders is no choice at all."

Read the full story at The Huffington Post.

New Palin Campaign Ad Calls Out Christians

2011-09-24T22:54:00.002-04:00

Sarah Palin is not happy about the 60 million Christians who aren't registered to vote. Drop the Dorito's and grab a voting app before you're engulfed in flames for not fulfilling your duty to God and country.

Found at Christian Nightmares

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THIS GUY

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