Wednesday, September 3, 2014

being human.

I haven't had a post in awhile due to a concussion I suffered in July. The day before Independence Day is when it occurred. Many things have happen since that time: I am no longer with Our Neighborhood Times, albeit informally, my relationship is not soured just ended. The protests in Ferguson to which I took to my personal Facebook account to engage in conversations about racism, equality, and change that I feel is much needed.

However the most recent thing on my mind is the hacking of Apple iCloud and release of celebrities nude photos to the public. The identity of the hacker has yet to be found but the names listed in this report have either tweeted disgust or denied completely the photos are of them.

This display from the virile underbelly of entertainment media stems from the lack of sexual education and sexual exploration. The sexual objectification of women, where it is normative to strip away humanity of women and happens far to often.

What the hell happen to human?

It's not enough that you violate people's privacy. It's not enough that they try to be as genuine as they can in interviews. It's not enough they setup places to meet you, create twitter feeds to stay connected with you, and sign your autographs at expos and Comic-cons. Somehow it wasn't enough was it.

It's not enough that some of these stars have already done sexy photo-shoots that they have consented to. No really. This is a consented photo of  Ms. Lawrence:
There's more too, but this isn't enough? To the extent we sexually objectify women and to what means we will go has no bounds.

As a Man I take responsibility for feeding this dehumanizing culture of seeing women as objects and normalizing the reaction as acceptable. However I will do everything I can in my personal everyday life to not be a sexist, chauvinistic, and downright deplorable individual who takes the stance of #NotAllMen. I will be an ally. Why? Because #YesAllWomen. 

Because yes she consented to the photo shoot above but that does not mean they had this coming, or that it's something they should have expected if they had nude photos on a private hard drive. An intrusion of privacy and exploitation of their physical appearance is not only a complete violation of who they are as women, as humans it is also ILLEGAL. 

We can try to reason with this all we want, but the truth is not that we are voyeuristic and curious that makes us want to see the photos now that they are available. It is because we are a sexist society that holds the perception of sexual objectification heavily on women. Because the mentality, be it suggestive and nuanced, is that sexual objects is all women are good for. That perception must die. We are not entitled to seeing these women's bodies nude simply because they are entertainers, actresses, and public figures.

Despite how public a lot of their actions are, they still deserve privacy and respect so they can have some sort of normalcy in their lives to which none of us can relate to.

You may see the pictures and say "I didn't leak them" and you may justify with that thought, reason, and logic so you can do whatever it is your going to do with the photos just know this: Whatever you are doing, is without the consent of the other party. Sound familiar?

What the hell happen to being human? Sadly and most disappointing, you'd have to ask a man first, because women are still fighting to try and find out what that feels like.

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Saturday, February 1, 2014

George Zimmerman

First I have to start this blog by saying this: I am going to be at times a little profane, because I am outraged and disappointed in the twisted scheme that is this "Celebrity" Boxing Match that is "Zimmerman vs. Any Challenger." I usually ask "what hell happened to" when starting these blog-posts, but today, at this moment I have to ask: What the fuck happen to George Zimmerman?

In an article by The Independent George Zimmerman offers up a shot to be in a Celebrity Boxing Match, and confides that he is willing to take on anyone. With just this statement alone I want to break this down, because it's devilishly genius, and fucking despicable. He is by every means using the resentment against him to make money, not only that he is using infamy to deem himself as an influential figure to American society. Let me be clear, he is using his infamous image from killing this boy, Trayvon Martin "justifiably":
George Zimmerman after using the defense that he could not even win a fight or be effective in any kind of way in MMA has decided to have an event that is basically saying "come get some." This action is just a device being used against you  for his own personal gain. Of course him getting his ass kicked sounds great, but you don't think for a second that asshole won't get knocked onto the mat with a smile on his face with all the money he would make from this?(With a portion of the proceeds going to an Animal Rights Group which has not been disclosed.) and the worse case scenario is what if he wins? What if the match is rigged? And the fact that it's The Game? Don't you think Racial Vengeance is an angle conservative news outlets will choose for this? Fucking seriously! We are about to set ourselves back 300 fucking years right after the month of which is dedicated to recognizing African American public figures that need to be recognized and not forgotten like Martin Luther King who advocated for non-violence. We deserve better. I was ashamed of one of my favorite news outlets perspective on the Boxing Match set for March 1st (The Young Turks). Here's the video. 




Vigilante Justice bought and paid for by a promoter and a boxing ring, is still Vigilante Justice. It's barbaric, and most importantly I wouldn't give this worthless piece of flesh a dime, because win or lose you are rewarding his behavior by watching this Pay-Per-View Match (and putting money in his pocket). I hate to say this but shame on you TYT. To The Game, you have paid respects to the Trayvon Martin Family by the Tattoo you have on your leg:


This is more than enough tribute. Fighting didn't solve anything on that night, and fighting on March 1st won't solve anything either. 

I believe the unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality, this is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

-Martin Luther King Jr.-

Look, I know that the "he's going to get what's coming to him" mantra is what many people have taken on in this case, which is why it's so disappointing. You are giving George Zimmerman exactly what he wants. He hasn't been the most quiet citizen either since killing Trayvon Martin. His criminal record continued to grow, most notably domestic disturbances with his estranged wife, Shellie, and another with his girlfriend whom put forth allegations but later the charges were dropped.

We have to stop feeding this mans lust for aggression and violence. We have to stop. My message also to The Game, as seen in the video beating a man up. You are about to cement an image of the "angry black man" in racists, bigots, and supremacists all over the nation that isn't true. Martin Luther King was a non-violent activist until the day he died. Can we follow in his footsteps for once. George Zimmerman has shown his true colors to everyone with his actions. Show yours by pointing out the HUGE inconsistency with his defense of killing an unarmed 17 year old boy. Get in the ring, take those gloves off and resist anger. Resist the urges we all have against this man. Show this man what peace, resolve, and discipline look like. If you don't, it will accomplish nothing good. Show the world that we as a people will not stoop to his level for justice. Let Trayon Martin's soul rest. Trayvon nor Zimmerman deserve any of this.

  
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

-Martin Luther King Jr.-

What the hell happened to George Zimmerman? Everything he ever wanted. 

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Thursday, January 16, 2014

People and their phones

I have read some really tragic stories over the last few days. The two that caught my attention the most are two articles that ended in death involving cell phones. In one story a man jumped into an icy river in Chicago to go after his smartphone. His friends who were with him followed in after him. One man and One woman trying to save their friend from going after his phone. The woman is missing presumed drowned, and the other is in critical condition from report I read on here. The next story which can be read clicking here. It was between two men in a theater and texting during the trailers. There was a verbal altercation that ended in one man being shot and killed, and another being injured.

So here's the question: What the hell happened to people and their phones?

In one instance let the phone float away, and in the other, someone text messaging during the trailers doesn't mean kill anyone (The man who was shot, his son was just two seats away.) over it. Also what's so important that you can't shut your phone off and watch a movie. Sit down, be at the theater with your family, and enjoy the show. That is what you came there to do right? Then again it happened in Florida, you don't have to hold much in that state to get shot. I digress, The actions by these people over someone using their phones and what they escalated too is simply mind-boggling.

Selfies, foodies, snapchats, and instagrams are fun ways to use our phones. However do we spend to much time capturing moments with our phone than being apart of them? Here's a video I watched via Upworthy.com. I would check them out, they find videos that challenge the way we think, and sometimes just uplift you. Directed by Miles Crawford and Written by Charlene deGuzman and Miles Crawford.

Phones now have speech functions that make it seem like you are carrying on a conversation. You what carries a conversation well, a person. Breathing human beings, in my opinion people see it as social acceptance. Playing games, showing pictures of nights before. It's a great tool, don't get me wrong, but at the end of the day it's just that. A tool. Nothing more. Maybe people should try this game more:

It's a thought, because do we really want a track worthy statistic of people dying from cell-phone related incidents like the two above? What the hell happen to People and their cell phones? #WeLostConnection.

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Thursday, December 19, 2013

Artist Standards

Recently in Salon.com Prachi Gupta has an article that highlights a bloggers extensive interview with Jim Derogatis on villagevoice.com with Jessica Hopper  here. Jim Derogatis, a music critic, is the reporter who broke the story of sex abuse acts alleged against R. Kelly. Now in Salon's piece they raise the very important question which is: Would these allegations and lawsuits be more public if one of them involved a white girl? Gupta quotes Derogatis from the interview with Hopper:

“Nobody matters less to our society than young black women”

In the article Derogatis brings up issues surrounding R.Kelly and the lawsuits against him. His opinion is strong and you should definitely read it for yourself
However the interview on villiagevoice.com Derogatis brings up something that has bothered me really as a listener, critic, and blogger of music. What the hell happened to Artist Standards? In the interview Jessica Hopper has with Derogatis he says quote:
A lot of art, great art, is made by despicable people. James Brown beat his wife. Rare is the amount of evidence compiled against anyone apart from R. Kelly. I got the Bonham three rings [tattooed] on my foot. Led Zeppelin did disgusting things. People are always, "Why aren't you upset about Led Zeppelin?" I have a couple of responses to that: I didn't cover Led Zeppelin. If I was on the plane, like Cameron Crowe was, I would have written about those things if I saw them. The art very rarely talks about these things. There are not pro-rape Led Zeppelin songs. There are not pro-wife-beating James Brown songs.


Derogatis sites the list of lawsuits against R.Kelly that are on public record in Chicago courts. R. Kelly's multiple lawsuits involving sexual abuse, child pornography, and rape (Yes, Rape. Read the interview) Jim Derogatis can't really understand why Pitchfork in particular, a music festival in Chicago, would endorse this artist he refers to as a "Monster" as a headliner. Derogatis says:

I can still listen to Led Zeppelin and take joy in Led Zeppelin or James Brown. I condemn the things they did. I'm not reminded constantly in the art, because the art is not about it.
And that's a very important distinction. R. Kelly's current album is titled "Black Panties." Just by the title alone you can't help but be reminded of the long list of accusations after reading the interview and hearing the account of Derogatis' encounters with the dozens of women who have lawsuits against the singer.

In my personal opinion I believe that the pedestal we put these artists on is unrealistic, and we give them the excuse of being "rich and famous." That allows them the ability to do whatever they please without potential of a real consequence. It forms an absolutely terrible standard for creators of art we, I believe, based around the mindset that we too one day will all be millionaires so when our day comes we will act in the same manner if it was us in the same position. Derogatis refers to him as a monster, after reading the interview with Jessica Hopper and Derogatis' account of the reporting you can make your own conclusion.

What the hell happened to Artist Standards? Society somehow see's artist and their actions as a reflection of ourselves in those positions and instances that broadens the perspective of what we find acceptable, excusable, and justifiable. Maybe that is the real monster.

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Black Friday

Now that Black Wednesday and Friday have passed. I read a few stories of injuries and deaths, yes DEATHS from Black Wednesday and Friday Shopping. Then while scrolling my Facebook Newsfeed I came across a link that sparked my interest.

You can check the link out yourself here at blackfridaydeathcount.com.

Black Friday Death Count

Black Friday Death Count

Deaths Injuries
Deaths Injuries
2013 Shopper Pepper Sprayed, Arrested in Argument Over TV at New Jersey Walmart - 1
2013 Thanksgiving Day bargain shoppers send 11 year-old to hospital - 2
2013 Teen returning home from Black Friday shopping fell asleep at wheel, killed in wreck 1 4
2013 Man Stabbed During Black Friday Event at Carlsbad Mall - 1
2013 Newport, Arkansas Walmart employee injured during Black Friday sales - 1
2013 Scenes of chaos during chain store's Black Friday sales in Ireland - 1
2013 Several injured in Black Friday-related shooting outside Kohl's in Illinois - 2
2013 Black Friday: Virginia Man Stabbed In Walmart Parking Lot Over Space - 1
2013 Rialto Walmart brawl sends one police officer to hospital - 1
2013 Shopper carrying TV home from Target shot in Las Vegas - 1
2012 Father charged in crash that killed daughters after Black Friday shopping 2 5
2012 Two People Shot at Tallahassee Walmart Over Parking Space - 2
2012 Black Friday Shoppers Hit By Suspected Drunk Driver In Walmart Parking Lot - 2
2011 Black Friday Worker Rescued From Canal After Losing Control Of Car Due To Exhaustion - 1
2011 Black Friday: Target Shoppers Step Over Walter Vance As He Collapses, Dies 1 -
2011 Fights break out at Rome Walmart during Black Friday shopping - 2
2011 Woman Wounded in S.C. Black Friday Robbery Attempt - 1
2011 Off-duty police pepper spray NC shoppers - 20
2011 Shooting outside Calif. Walmart, 1 wounded - 1
2011 Black Friday pepper-spray attack at Walmart injures 20 - 20
2010 Former Marine stabbed in Best Buy store by violent customer - 1
2009 Clarksville Woman Trampled During Black Friday Shopping - 1
2008 SoCal Toys 'R' Us Shooting Leaves Two Dead 2 2
2008 Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede 1 4
2006 10 Injured in SoCal Black Friday Mall Stampede - 10
2006 Salt Lake Tribune, The : Red-hot on Black Friday‎ - 1

I understand that people want their deals, but seriously though at what cost? The fact that some people in society are more jubilant to push and shove each other for a flat screen TV rather than sit with family calmly and peacefully is disturbing. This year some stores opened on Thanksgiving Day! In some cases shortly after most people are finishing Thanksgiving Dinner. I digress, the important issue here is that there is a death count for shopping, Family Shopping.

The chaotic mess and waves of people shopping for deals on "stuff" and "things" directly after giving thanks for what you already have and being thankful. Maybe we like being a hypocritical society it seems. Now an internet big board keeping count of how many people die from fatigue or trampling from Black Wednesday Shopping. This video: 

Not affiliated with a certain site, with a strikingly similar layout, touting Cyber Monday death counts. Spoiler: there aren't any!

 

Why do we feel this is okay? Being arrested over a television, or dying even for items that are basically crap, yes crap. The doorbuster deals are for items that are made by cheaper parts and less features. 
That's just one little tidbit from this video from buzzfeedvideo below:
 

I know some will say, "It didn't happen like that where I am from..." However with Black Wednesday and Friday inching closer and closer into Thanksgiving, people trading more and more of what has become very precious time with loved one's for waiting in long lines for cheap prices and even cheaper products. Turkey Day begins a day before the actual holiday with much preparation in most cases. Families preparing for large groups of people to eat a hearty meal with all the trimmings. When the okay is giving to dive in, the feeding frenzy begins. We consume and overindulge not caring about the potential negative and damaging consequences of overindulgence, We like how good it feels. We do it the same way every year. What the hell happened to Black Friday? We treat it like Thanksgiving. As always follow me on Twitter and like us on Facebook at Our Neighborhood Times.

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

With Drug Testing?

Now, I have seen this particular photo floating around on Facebook:

What a headline right? Welfare drug testing saves money in the state of Utah. Here's a video from +The Young Turks  on that very story:

 

Here's the kicker however, according to a report from the Associated Press the whole whopping twelve people being confirmed drug users does not mean they will be denied benefits. They will be required to enter substance abuse treatment. So despite being confirmed users these people will still get benefits anyway.
Why is society insistent on trying to frame the poor as lazy do-nothing American Citizens because of drug use? Don't believe me? Here's one post from Facebook after seeing the headline:




So here's the context according to the people who believe this is so very important: Drug users get benefits to buy drugs, this law stops that (or so they think). However substance abusers still need drugs, because they are addicted. Do you think they will stop finding ways to get drugs even without benefits? Don't you think they would probably go about doing illegal things to get those very substances, potentially increasing the crime rate, and filling up prisons even more. That is within the context of what some people believe the intention of the law is. How do you the solve problem if you are so worried about drug abusers receiving benefits? My opinion, legalize drugs and regulate them. End this non-sense War on Drugs. With over 45 million people in poverty according to Reuters. 22 million "abusers" and about 18 million are smoking marijuana according to drugabuse.gov. What drug is being used by such a large  part of the population that using drug testing is a must? I digress, back to this headline in Utah.
Not pushing in the headline that even if you are a confirmed substance abuser you can still receive benefits is entirely misleading. Why would you want to misguide your readers into thinking they won't get help from the state? They just might use that money to buy your news publication. Instead of encouraging people who need help to receive benefits from the state, the press bought right into the scare tactics trying to be used when lawmakers put the provision into their law. What the hell happened drug testing? Despite what the headlines try to do, it does nothing. People can still get help...for now.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Alternatives

Looking back at yet another mass shooting in this country got me thinking, then a few days later on the local news channels in Chicago they interviewed a child shortly after being shot in the face to ask him "Do you know what happened?" To which the child replied, "Yea, I got shot." He was four.
All the talks are about pro-gun or anti-gun. I thought about something that hopefully will appease both sides, non-lethal against lethal. I understand first the 2nd amendment right to bare arms, however that right is not restricted to just lethal firearms. "Arms" is honestly loosely defined. I digress, non-lethal weapons are a form of protection for the average citizen that isn't hit on hard enough ever. That nature to kill should not be nurtured. What the hell happen to Alternatives? For example this non-lethal alternative is legal in all 50 states it's called the ARMA100 here's a nice picture of it:

 Also here's a fancy little video explaining what you are looking at.



What's important to note here are a few things:

1. It doesn't kill anyone. No one has to die, immobilizing and running away from your aggressor is a smart thing. Self-defense doesn't mean kill someone.

2. Running away to find a safe place to call the police. Yes, Call the police. Trusting the very people you pay with your tax dollars to protect you is a good thing. Before we can strengthen a community you have to gain the faith back that law enforcement officers uphold the oath, and protect the citizens.

3. This can make you feel safe without the dangers of having a weapon that can cause lethal, devastating damage to a home or community.

Stun Devices are legal in 44 of our states and at www.beststungun.com you can purchase an array of different types of devices to immobilize your aggressor. In most cases it comes with training and how to handle them. There are alternatives to handled heightened stress situations that don't have to result in death. What's most alarming of this gun culture we as a nation have become drowned in is the instilled distrust of each other just as citizens. We are weary of the idea of someone having a gun so the reaction is to get one to protect yourself from other people who have them. Which leads to a better alternative than any non-lethal or lethal force option: Community, looking to our neighbors for help when needed. Not just our neighbors, our local law enforcement. They aren't to be feared, they are meant to be respected. They are trained to handle high stress situations. One of my closest friends is a police officer.


Don't know a police officer all that well. Some local enforcement has the availability of a ride-a-long. Where you get to ride around on his shift and see the life they have. Get to know your police force, why? Because you pay for it. It's your communities. We can no longer keep treating Guns as our only self-defense in the face of danger, as our only option.
What the hell happened to alternatives? We only know of last resorts. follow me on Twitter and like us at Our Neighborhood Times