Poplicks.com

THE LONG ROAD STAYS LONG

2009-11-04T09:51:00.001-08:00

Some quick thoughts this morning.

First, it is really hard to believe it's been an entire year since Obama's election. I'll say this much - in politics (as it is in sports), it's more fun playing offense than defense. The 2010 midterm elections are likely to be a clusterf--- of remarkable proportions but at least we have a ~~year~~ few months before we'll be subjected to how those races will shape up.

Second, the passage of Maine's Prop 1 is dispiriting (not to mention surprising) and suggests that the road ahead is still long. The one bright spot is to note that a 4 point differential is slim enough that you can imagine that as American voters undergo a generational shift, it will shrink year by year.

I thought TNC had some good points to make here. He's interested (in this post) in debating the idea that those voting against gay marriage are not, in fact, bigoted. And Coates turns to the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the tenacity of White voters to hold onto Jim Crow voting practices and suggests that the same "logic" that defended those White voters from accusations of racism is similarly in place regarding anti-gay marriage voters. To wit:

"Hence the notion that those voting against gay marriage, are not actually, in the main, motivated by bigotry, but a belief in tradition and family. But very few people would actually ever describe themselves as bigots. We think we know so much about ourselves. This is a country--like many countries--which is deeply riven by ethnic bias, gender discrimination. And yet we don't seem to know any of the agents of that discrimination."

I would add one thing, because I've been reading Andrew Cherlin's The Marriage Go-Round and that is, when it comes to issues around marriage, Americans are caught up in a way that few other Western nations are. And what it is notably about this debate is that while there's likely a larger number of people opposed to any kind of state-sanctioned homosexual union, it's really the term "marriage" that makes the biggest difference here (and as Cherlin suggests, only here relative to other, similar nations). Therefore (and this is my conclusion, not Cherlin's per se), what would have to change socially is that both/either 1) the definition of marriage expands to include gay couples and/or 2) our premium on marriage subsides. I would suggest both are happening but I'm curious to ponder which (if any) is moving "faster". My guess is the former; I think marriage is still a widely held value and ideal amongst Americans but I think, over time, there has been less and less priority put on the idea that marriage is exclusively a heterosexual institution.

LOUISIANA JUDGE DENIES MARRIAGE LICENSE TO INTERRACIAL COUPLE

2009-10-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Not Good for Children?

Breaking news from AP that is unrelated to kids in flying balloons:

A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

...

Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.

"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

Well, that was fun seeing what Louisiana was like in the 1950's. I'd like to go back to the 21st century now.

Anybody seen my time machine?

(Thanks to Mama Shih)

THE ULTIMATE EMAIL JUXTAPOSITION

2009-10-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is what the top of my inbox currently looks like.

The first email is a link to an article about how our government is failing to protect us from bad food.

The second email is from Quiznos promoting its new Double Cheese Cheesesteak.

THE DEATH OF THE FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST

2009-10-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Missy does not approve

I realize the American Music Awards are only slightly more relevant than the Golden Space Needle Awards and the Little People's Choice Awards.

But today's list of AMA nominations reveals a startling fact.

In the categories of POP/ROCK, there are nominees for both Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Female Artist.

Same goes for the categories of COUNTRY MUSIC and SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES.

But for RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC, there is no Best Female Artist category this year. They only have three nominees for Best Male Artist. (They have had a Best Female Artist category in this genre before.)

Are you getting that? There were so few female hip hop artists worth recognizing this year that the American Music Awards -- whose standards are so low that Michael Jackson is a leading nominee this year -- didn't even bother to list three nominees.

Perhaps the problem is not an actual dearth of female hip hop artists, but the failure to recognize them. Or the failure of radio, magazines, tv, and other outlets to play and promote female hip hop artists.

No matter what, this is a pathetic development.

DEMOCRATS: PUBLIC OPTION? NO. ABSTINENCE EDUCATION? YES.

2009-10-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Democratic Super Majority

www.thedailyshow.com

THE PASSING OF GINA HOTTA

2009-09-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

Very sad news...

Word comes down from the Bay Area that Gina Hotta died last night, apparently from a heart attack.

If you were involved in Asian American community issues in the Bay Area, it would be virtually impossible that you wouldn't have run into Gina at some point. I first met her as the host of the old radio show, "Inside/Eastside," one of the few Asian American-themed shows on public radio back in the day. (That show eventually evolved into APEX Express which is on KPFA in Berkeley; no doubt, they'll do something very special for her this week.)

She was easily the most consummate AA journalist I knew, constantly producing radio segments and writing for print. She was seemingly everywhere; I can't remember a community event I didn't see her at. I just got off the phone with Jeff Chang who was - shocked like I was - remarked about talking to Gina at the UC Berkeley walkout last week.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that GIna either formally or informally mentored an entire generation of AA journalists, myself included, who came of age in the Bay Area in the 1990s. The difference was that she probably outstripped us all in her passion and dedication; I can't really think of another figure that comes close. I was also always impressed how Gina came from an older generation of post-70s activists but had the open mind to stay current with new trends in culture and politics.

My heart hangs so heavy; this year alone has seen the untimely passings of Al Robles, Ron Takaki, and now Gina. I don't live up north any more but I can't imagine that the Bay isn't far emptier for their absences.

THE PASSION OF YOUTH IN AMERICA

2009-09-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

How can one video clip simultaneously be the funniest video ever and the saddest video ever?

(Thanks: Mahmoud M.)

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY

2009-09-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

I smell .

WHAT HAPPENED TO HONEST OPINIONS?

2009-09-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

I watched the above video of a recent teabagger protest thinking some wingnuts might give me a hearty chuckle.

But midway through the video, I remembered that a majority of Americans now disapprove of President Obama's performance. Which is to say, these teabaggers are making a difference.

By the end of the video, I was so frightened by it that it made torture porn movies look like My Little Pony.

What scares me, however, is not the anti-Obama sentiment, but the nature of the actual words expressed.

I know that there will always be fierce opposition to any American president, regardless of his or her ideology. Dissent is an American tradition. Undoubtedly, the anti-Bush rallies were an even larger assembly of angry people with the same passion as the people interviewed above.

But what shocks me about these oft-repeated wingnut talking points is how much they depend on lies.

In expressing their views, these teabaggers rely on "facts" with no credible support. Obama is not an American citizen. Obama is a Communist. Obama is the first president to have "czars." Obama wants to kill my grandma. Obama is Muslim. Obama is raising my taxes (said a person who is probably not making more than $250,000). Obama is taking my doctor away.

In contrast, most anti-Bush protesters never needed to lie. They either chanted pure opinions (e.g., "The war on Iraq is wrong," "Bush is the worst president in US history," etc.) or expressed beliefs stemming from undisputed facts (e.g., "No Tax Dollars to Halliburton", "How can the White House defend torture?," etc.).

Granted, there were many leftists who passionately believed unproven assertions. For example, thousands (including me) believed that the White House was raising the terror alert levels during the 2004 presidential campaign just to skew support towards President Bush. Sure enough, it turned out to be true. But even if it wasn't true, most Bush critics could articulate their opposition to President Bush's policies without lying (or repeating lies that they believed to be true).

Consider the "You Lie" controversy. Personally, I am not outraged with Rep. Joe Wilson for merely interrupting Pres. Obama's speech and violating so-called rules of etiquette. If he blurted out "Shame!" during one of Pres. Bush's speeches defending the Iraqi invasion, I would have praised him. Instead, what outrages me about Rep. Wilson's statement is that it's a patently false assertion. He's not expressing an opinion. He's stating that Obama's proposed bill would apply to illegal immigrants, when it clearly does not.

Also, the imbalance in what constitutes acceptable dissent blows my mind. Among other things, I don't remember any anti-Bush protester holding up a sign like, "Unarmed, this time," which one teabagger is carrying in the above video. Moreover, any anti-Bush supporter who showed up to a Bush rally in 2002 with a gun would have been immediately arrested.

Another reason I am especially flabbergasted by the right-wing talking points is because I have no difficulty articulating legitimate ideological grounds for a conservative to criticize the Obama White House. Opposed to a strong, active federal government? Obama is probably not your man. Do you think stem cell research constitutes murder? Obama is not your man. Should insurance companies suffer financially by being forced to insure people with preexisting conditions? If not, Obama is definitely not your man.

Although I completely disagree with the fundamentalist in the video who compared abortion to a holocaust, I respect that it is an opinion not dependent upon lies. He believes that the termination of any fetus is murder. Fair enough. He doesn't need to believe or spread lies -- e.g., Obama is forcing women to get abortions -- to articulate his opposition.

Similarly, today, I respect any person who says, "I oppose Obama's health care reform because I do not believe that wealthy taxpayers should have to pay for poor people's hospital bills."

I don't share that view. I find it greedy and selfish.

But at least it's an honest opinion.

Do these Glenn Beck supporters see any irony in their criticism of Obama as a leader who has used his charisma to create a blind allegiance among supporters?

On a related note, I feel compelled to make two points about the recent surge in Hitler comparisons.

First, I think it is inappropriate to seriously compare someone to Adolf Hitler unless he is responsible for the genocide of hundreds of thousands of people.

(I would make an exception, however, for people who have Hitler mustaches.)

I acknowledge that I am a hypocrite in saying this. I have referred to at least one stringent meter maid or iron-fisted supervisor as a Nazi, which, at the very least, is insensitive to Holocaust survivors.

Thus, I cringe when I see Obama compared to Hitler. Today, I would also cringe if someone compared George W. Bush to Hitler.

But having said that, I feel compelled to make this second point: Obama-Hitler comparisons seem far more indefensible than Bush-Hitler comparisons.

Bush was compared to Hitler when he had unilaterally invaded, in the face of global opposition, the sovereign nation of Iraq and killed at least 100,000 -- and, by some estimates, a million -- civilians. Granted, that death toll doesn't rival the millions who died in the Holocaust. And unlike Hitler, Bush did not systemically calculate to decimate a whole race of people. But I can appreciate the point that 100,000 dead innocent civilians puts Bush on a very short list of people responsible for equally grave numbers.

Obama, on the other hand, is being compared to Hitler for trying to ensure that every American has health care.

Do the protesters drawing Hitler mustaches on Barack Obama's face (fun fact: Obama is not an Aryan) really believe the comparison is valid?

(Credit: Thanks to J. Song for the video)

WHEN MEMES COLLIDE

2009-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

More here.

WHERE MY BUBBLE TEA DRINKERS AT?

2009-09-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

WHEN GOOD INTENTIONS MAKE BAD BAD ART

2009-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

if you can explain this, you're a better man than me

badpaintingsofbarackobama.com

FUN WITH A GREEN MARKER

2009-09-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

As your legal counsel, however, I strongly advise that you only engage in this type of vandalism in the realm of your imagination.

20 MORE FACTS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

That panda has never looked cuter, by comparison

A Brazilian ad agency proposed the above ad for the World Wildlife Fund that shows a horde of planes diving towards lower Manhattan's skyscrapers. (The WWF rejected the ad, but somehow it leaked.)

A White House report suggests that between 30-50 percent of the U.S. population could catch swine flu during the course of this pandemic and that up to 90,000 could kick the bucket from it.

Jay-Z has had 10 #1 albums, but has never had one #1 single.

Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Yuiko Hatoyama's wife, Miyuki, once wrote about having ridden in a triangular UFO to Venus.

You can now purchase an air freshener that purportedly smells like Nelson Mandela.

Prison guards in Florida have now zapped at least 43 children with 50,000-volt stun guns as part of Take Your Kids to Work Day festivities.

A Pakistani man drowned to his death during the taping of a Survivor-type reality show.

Palo Alto just hosted the United States of America's first National Single Cougars Convention.

Photo by Daniel Britt

Kazuo Matsui missed the first few weeks of the 2008-2009 baseball season because, according to the Astros' official website, he was suffering from "anal fissure."

90% of the paper currency in the United States contains traces of cocaine.

The band a-ha (of "Take On Me" fame) just released its ninth album.

These are just some of the late Don Hewitt's (60 Minutes creator) accomplishments: (1) He invented the concept of B-Roll, (2) produced and directed the Nixon-Kennedy debates, which forever transformed presidential politics, (3) invented the concept of cue cards for news anchors, (4) directed and produced Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, and (5) and invented the idea of putting text on the bottom third of the screen.

Divine Miss M Meets G-Unit

50 Cent recently hung out with Bette Midler, who, by the way, once had an affair with Geraldo Rivera.

An affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America is training teenage Scouts how to capture illegal immigrants and fight terrorists.

Kid (from Kid 'n' Play) is doing local commercials for a suit store in Carson, California.

Federal Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske has chosen to abandon the phrase "War on Drugs."

Redfoo of LMFAO (of "I'm in Miami, Bitch" fame) is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy.

Ben & Jerry's is renaming its Chubby Hubby ice cream to Hubby Hubby to raise awareness of marriage equality (which is great, except that Chubby Hubby sounds more like a term used in the gay community).

Speaking of Jerrys, Jerry O'Connell is a 1L.

Finally, both Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny were apparently packing heat:

(with thanks to JT Money)

NATURE'S CHILD

2009-08-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

I first noticed the Station Fire on Thursday night, when a friend and I were driving east, towards downtown, along the 10 freeway. As we neared downtown, we could see the glow of fires that looked close to the Hollywood Sign; in the dark, we had no sense of depth and only realized that the fires were further back when we turned on the radio.

The Station Fire is nothing like I can quite compare to insofar as the size and scope of it eclipses even the Oakland Hills Fire of 1991 that I witnessed from a Berkeley dorm. The Station Fire has so far not been as deadly or destructive - and hopefully that will stay that way - but its impact on the Southland is visually felt anytime you look East.

Basically, the ferocity of the Fire is creating what's known as pyroculumus clouds; it's nature's variation on the mushroom cloud created by an atomic or nuclear detonation. What is so striking is that the last few days have had surprisingly blue, cloudless skies everywhere else except over the fire zone and there, you can see this thick, gray haze spreading across the horizon with the billowing pyrocumulus clouds punching their way skyward past them.

FIND THE DIFFERENCES

2009-08-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Microsoft ad used in the United States

Microsoft ad used in Poland

Did you spot the differences, kids?

If not, here are the answers:

1. The Asian guy in the U.S. ad is the CEO, whereas the Asian guy in the Polish ad is an exchange student.

2. The middle man in the U.S. ad does not have health insurance.

3. The woman in the Polish ad does not actually care that Michael Vick is playing football again when so many more NFL players have been convicted for crimes that involve the death of human beings and served shorter sentences.

4. The middle man in the Polish ad is playing pocket pool.

5. The U.S. ad does not use the word "firmy."

Also, something looks a bit off about the skin color of the middle guy ...

Credit: AMERICAblog

WHY OLIVER AND I WON'T GIVE OUR CHILDREN A WEBCAM ANYTIME SOON

2009-08-22T23:31:00.000-07:00

Then again, if this kid inks a six-figure deal to star in his own television show, we might change our mind.

LIGHT TREASON

2009-08-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Him?

President Obama's proposed health care reforms constitute some of the most important pieces of federal legislation to surface in my lifetime.

If passed, especially with the public option preserved, our nation will be taking a huge step toward closing the gaping inequalities between rich and poor and ending the discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions.

This is too huge a moral issue to let the debate be hijacked by dishonest yahoos like ex-Gov. Palin.

To get worked up about this, I need only think about two of my neighbors who have spent the last decade saving money for and then paying off necessary cancer treatments that their insurance company refused to cover.

Now having said this, I would just like to say that the above gentleman who brought the "OBAMA: BRING BACK ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT" sign to one of President Obama's town halls still gets my respect.

(With thanks to D. Shamir)

WHEN BILLBOARDS BATTLE

2009-08-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

15 Billboards That Don't Belong Next To Each Other

SECOND ONLY TO MIDGET MONGOLOID BLOODS

2009-08-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

These two Tiny Oriental Crips seem neither Tiny nor Oriental

The feds just handed down 15 indictments after concluding a two-year investigation targeting what is purportedly the most notorious Asian gang in San Diego: the Tiny Oriental Crips.

The unsealed indictments revolve around meth distribution charges, but the gang apparently has a violent reputation in San Diego that extends beyond drug dealing.

I have no doubt that T.O.C. members must be armed, dangerous, and ruthless. How else can a gang called Tiny Oriental Crips garner respect?

That has to be the worst gang name ever.

Tiny Oriental Crips sounds like a topping for a teriyaki chicken salad at Panda Express.

Given that "Crips" derives from crippled, T.O.C. is the equivalent of an Irish gang calling itself the Dwarfy Leprechaun Handicapped.

Plus, what makes T.O.C.'s name especially odd is that the gang apparently targets other Crip gangs. So now, this is on par with a black gang naming itself the Hobbit Negro Aryan Bloods.

Over the last two years, the agents working on this sting must have endured strange conversations. If I had to tell people I spend time "tracking down Tiny Oriental Crips," I would expect to hear the following responses:

Awww, that's so cute. Maybe you can trap them by playing little tiny potstickers in a mousetrap.

But who will track down the Lollipop Guild and the Oompa-Loompas?

You realize it's more politically correct to say Tiny Asian American Crips, right?

Did you lose your medication?

Finally, how did the two people in the photo above allegedly become ringleaders in the Tiny Oriental Crips? It's hard to tell if they're tiny in the picture, but they certainly don't look Oriental. In fact, they look more like employees at Staples.

The duo are the only two of 15 T.O.C.'s named in the indictment who are at large and not in federal custody.

Perhaps they haven't been caught yet because the APB's all start with "Be on the lookout for two Tiny Oriental Crips ..."

Related link: Any gang incidents near your neck of the woods? Click here to find out.

WE MIGHT EVEN FORGIVE LONG DUK DONG

2009-08-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

We'll Know When We Get There: Sincerely, John Hughes

QUESTION OF THE WEEK #142

2009-08-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

With Zero-to-60 acceleration in 5.9 seconds, this Domino's delivery guy is at your door in less than 30 minutes.

This Week's Question:

JUSTICE

2009-08-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

TNC: "THE TOUGH THING ABOUT RACISM..."

2009-08-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Tough Thing About Racism... - Ta-Nehisi Coates

And you thought getting Obama elected was the hard part....

EAU S**T: PERFUME SETS OFF HYSTERIA

2009-07-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Between She and Me Lies Sashimi

As all my fans know, I just launched Sashimi, my new fragrance line featuring raw fish, wasabi, and the eye cheese lodged in between my epicanthic folds.

Buyers from as far away as Fort Worth were copping bottles.

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to have issue a recall.

From the BBC:

Thirty-four people went to hospital and dozens were treated for sickness after strong perfume was sprayed by a woman in a Texas bank. Two workers initially complained of having chest pains and headaches.

The bank then announced that anyone who felt ill should leave the building, prompting around 150 people to take up the offer.

Twelve people were taken to hospital by ambulance, after they complained of feeling short of breath and dizzy. ...

Emergency services initially feared that there may have been a leak of carbon monoxide but having checked the building, decided that a strong perfume was to blame.

Investigators do not know what kind of perfume was sprayed.

Something smells fishy about those numbers, however. Over 150 suffering employees?

When that Bank of America branch announced that those feeling ill can leave, plenty of healthy people probably bounced and went home to memorize common responses to Rorschach inkblots.