Speaking of high school comparisons

If I went to school with these two, I would have voted for them in the homecoming court race:

Blondie Coworker Lady and Smarty Pants Man

They actually seem more like Student Council kids, but whatever. They have cats, which I will not count against them because I know deep down they want a dog.

Vindication for the public skool kidz

Cleveland State University law grads excel at bar exam
Case alums bring up rear in passage rate
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Janet Okoben, Plain Dealer Reporter

Law school graduates from Cleveland State University showed up their private-school counterparts at Case Western Reserve University in the most recent Ohio Bar exam, posting the highest passage rate in the region.

CSU's law school tied with Ohio State University for the second-highest bar passage rate in the state, according to results released by the Ohio Supreme Court. Ninety percent of CSU and OSU students taking the test for the first time passed. Ohio Northern University, with a 95 percent passage rate, was tops in the state.

Case's passage rate for first-time test takers was lowest in the state, at 83 percent. Statewide, 88 percent of all 1,094 first-timers passed.

Law school graduates can take the bar exam multiple times, but the percentage of students who pass the test on the first try is a major measure of the quality of a legal education, said Chris Davey, a spokesman for the court.

For CSU's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, the high passage rate is the result of years of work.

The Ohio Board of Regents threatened tougher oversight for public law schools back in the 1990s, when passage rates statewide were much lower.

In 2004, Steven Steinglass, the former dean, pushed to hire a full-time bar exam coordinator. Admissions requirements got tougher. Two years ago, the school introduced a for-credit course on the bar exam.

CSU also started requiring students to meet one-on-one with faculty in their second year of law school to plan for the exam they take almost two years later. Everyone in the law school pitches in, including Dean Geoffrey Mearns, who talked by phone on Tuesday in between one-on-one sessions he had scheduled with four second-year students.

The idea is "to impress upon them a year-and-a-half to two years in advance the kinds of things they need to be doing now to prepare," Mearns said. "It's one of those challenges you face as a professional that you can't wait until the last six weeks."

Case's law school probably will see some changes after posting the lowest passage rate in the state, said Dean Gary Simson.

He tried to put the score in context by noting that Case educates lawyers who will go on to practice all over the country. Only 70 Case law graduates took the Ohio exam for the first time in July, out of a graduating class of 225. Therefore, the curriculum at Case isn't geared as closely to the Ohio bar exam as it is at other law schools around the state, Simson said.
Still, he said the passage rates must rise and he has already created a committee to come up with ideas by January.

"There's no question, we shouldn't have been hovering around the mid-80s," Simson said. "It should be 95 percent and there's no reason why it can't be."

In the meantime, CSU's law school has another selling point to trumpet, along with an in-state tuition of $16,478 a year - compared to Case at $34,700.

Posted by request

Ailey II at Stoker Arts Center
Lorain County Community College 1005 N Abbe Rd -- Elyria, OH
Monday, November 5, 2007 – 7:30 pm http://www.lorainccc.edu/Stocker+Arts+Center/
Ailey II at Stoker Arts Center

tickets: $15.00/Adults; $10.00/Children 12 and under
https://tickets.lorainccc.edu/public/

They're young. They're talented. And they dance with an energy which seems inexhaustible. Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging horeographers.

Alvin Ailey personally appointed former Ailey member, Sylvia Waters, as the Artistic Director of Ailey II and she has served in that capacity since the Company's inception in 1974. Under her direction, Ailey II has invigorated the American dance scene by emphasizing a balance of repertoire, technique and performance, while offering unique opportunities for artists. It has become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed dance companies in the United States. In recent years, Ailey II's distinctive repertory has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey and Talley Beatty, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison, and such innovative choreographers as Donald Byrd, Shapiro & Smith, Shen Wei, Avila/Weeks, Lar Lubovitch, Kevin Wynn and Ulysses Dove.

The New York Times says "Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition." The Arizona Daily Sun raves "...energetic and skillfully performed tour-de-force, and a standing ovation from the captivated audience brought dancers to the edge of the stage for repeated and well-deserved bows." http://www.alvinailey.org/

Ailey II qualifies for our new "Take A Chance" program - which means that ½ price tickets (off of the Adult ticket price) – will be available at the Box Office 1-1/2 hours prior to curtain!

My Femme card is close to being revoked

More music from bands that I shouldn't love. The guilt makes me feel dirty. This band is called Louis XIV. They are drrty white boys from San Diego. Their whole album is porno movie soundtrack music and it. is. so. good.



Ah chocolate girl, you’re looking like something I want
(finding out true love is blind)
Ah and your little Asian friend she can come if she wants
(finding out true love is blind)
I want all the self conscious girls who try to hide who they are with makeup
(finding out true love is blind)
You know it’s the girl with a frown with the tight pants I really want to shake up
(finding out true love is blind)

Hey, carrot juice, I wanna squeeze you away until you bleed
(finding out true love is blind)
\And your vanilla friend, well she looks like something I need
(finding out true love is blind)
I want miss little smart girl with your glasses and all your books
(finding out true love is blind)
And I want the stupid girl who gives me all those dirty looks
(finding out true love is blind)

Wind you up and make you crawl to me
Tie you up until you call to me[x2]

Ah brown girl with those with the hot pants shaking that thing on the street
(finding out true love is blind)
Yeah and the short girls with the way they crawl knocks me off my feet
(finding out true love is blind)
And all the tough girls who never want me to see them cry
(finding out true love is blind)
And the girls who straight treat me like a dog until the day I die
(finding out true love is blind)

dammit, dammit, dammit

This whole time I was like, "That dude is so screwed!" Then I see a picture of him in this article and I just want to be bang my head against a wall.

SONG OF THE WEEK

Chew on this.

There. I said it.

Am I the only one who isn't sad about those college kids in North Carolina? And am I the only person who hates it when people are always like: "He/She had such a zest for life," or "She was the sweetest person you would ever meet"?

So assholes never die? I know if I were to roll over and die right now, somebody should be thinking: "What a bitch. Glad she's done and over with." I would appreciate that sort of honesty.

Let's be real: they were those people you know: sorority girls and frat guys. One was homecoming queen. They were rich and privileged. Not that that makes them bad people per se, but you know...I am sure some dorky kid from their high school who they treated like shit is secretly smiling somewhere in a dark corner.

(Wow. That was so bitchy of me.)

There's even a Wiki link to "CP time"!

Debra Dickerson is the woman I should be. Here she brings the pain to Barack for his homo-hypocrisy.











Yeah, "Pastor" McClurkin, you USED to be gay. Right.

Try again, Cleveland Clinic, try again

Look at us, we really are a non-profit. No, seriously, don't make us pay taxes.

No Such Thing

Warning: Self-referential post below



Funny: I was reading Brazen Careerist today and Penelope mentions the importance of community-building and making connections with others. Just this weekend, I had one of those "a-ha! moments" when thinking about my current state of affairs. (Like, State of Thy Self addresses or something...in my head. Not aloud. I mean, I talk to myself, but I don't give speeches or anything like that.)

So adulthood really isn't that much different than your high school/adolescence/teenage years. At least mine. Forgive me if this gets too LiveJournal for you.

Griping about the 'rents
I spent some time with an associate of mine who is struggling to come to grips with moving back home with his parents. In the middle of our Saturday brunch session, his mother calls. To bitch about a bill she got from Saks.

Friend: Yeah, Mom. Whatever. I hate when you call me about stupid stuff. Whatever. *hangs up*
Me: Parents totally suck.
Friend: Tell me about it.

Sharing a locker...or a house
Having a roommate is much like sharing a locker. I see my roommate here and there, and the rest of the time she is down the hallway at her boyfriend's locker. Her boyfriend is in a band.

You have a shitty hourly rate job
Yep. Check. I have one on the weekends. We have stupid uniforms and my coworkers are the objects of crushes for different customers. Very reminiscent of this famous high school movie.

Bosses are like teachers
My boss is always pissed that I am late for work. Much like my teachers in school. Hell, like my professors in college. Plus you hate going to work, but you have to go. Much like school. There are deadlines and I hate every assignment that comes across my desk. At work, there is pressure to reach goals...sorta like getting on honor roll. The only difference now is that I could care less about success.

Friendships are hard to manage
My ex-friend and I were like Pres and VP of Student Council, but since our falling out, it's been weird. We can't go to the same dances. If one of our friends throws a party, which one of us goes? I run into people who associate with him and it's like this:

Person: I saw Ex-Friend the other day. He looks great.
Me: Oh, we're still not talking.
Person: Oh. Sorry. I mean...um...you look great, too.

And like in high school, you have to then move on and get a replacement. Easier said than done and much easier when in school than when you're an adult. Penelope touches on this in her posting from today. She talks about how having friendships at work are important. For me, it's as if all my friends go to a different school, because I am not exactly friends with my coworkers. Not like at my other jobs.

And it still sucks if you hear about a party that you're not invited to. There are bars and clubs where all the cool kids go - places you should go if you want to be seen. There are still cliques and types: the hippies, the preps, the glams, the nerds. Now, the hippies and nerds live in the east side in Cleveland Heights. The preps live in Ohio City, the posers live in Tremont. The artsy kids live wherever. The glams (read: the gays and the women who love them) live in Lakewood....something like that.

People like me for my personality
Like in high school, I am always the funny friend, but never the hot one. Like in high school, I obsess about my looks. I have wicked acne. I have crushes that will never be requited. So there is always a pack of prettier, slimer, more popular girls all throughout life.

I am heavily involved in extracurriculars
There's always something to do after work. Always.

Boys and sex
No boys in high school. No boys now. No sex in high school. No sex now. Nothing has changed.

Other nuances
There are dress codes.
I take a bus.
There are weird janitors that lurk around.
I still need lunch money.

I just found out theres no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above
~ John Mayer, "No Such Thing" from Room for Squares

Trick-or-Treating is for white folks

So...researchers must be bored, because they discovered that minorities (read: Blacks) are less likely to go out trick-or-treating than their white counterparts. The reason most cited was safety of neighborhood. Obvious correlations occured along income lines as well: rich people would go out on Halloween, poor people probably won't.

Here's a gem from the poll:

Seventy percent of people in the poll who consider themselves liberals and 67 percent of the moderates questioned said they would hand out treats, compared with 55 percent of conservatives.

Of those adults whose children will not trick-or-treat this year, one-quarter cited safety worries and about one-half said they do not celebrate Halloween.

"It's demonic," said Donna Stitt, 37, a nursing aide from Barto, Pa., with four young children. "People are celebrating the dead. I'm not into that."

And not only don't they like The Gays or feminists, but conservatives are stingy with the candy. Nice. These people don't like free handouts of any kind.

Oh, and isn't she a peach: Ms.-I'm-not-into-that.'-Stitt Let's see what Halloween really means shall we, DONNA?

The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain (pronounced /ˈsˠaunʲ/ from the Old Irish samain). The Festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is erroneously regarded as 'The Celtic New Year'.

Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The Ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, where the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.

When the Romans occupied Celtic territory, several Roman traditions were also incorporated into the festivals. Feralia, a day celebrated in late October by the Romans for the passing of the dead as well as a festival which celebrated the Roman Goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit were incorporated into the celebrations. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which is a proposed origin for the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.

Yeah, there some dead stuff in there, but taking inventory and messing around with livestock seems to be part of it, too. Maybe Donna can't celebrate Halloween because she'll be hanging out with fellow cult members here.

WTF - Monday edition

Say what now? You're joking right? No, seriously, knock it off. Cut it out...I mean it. Stop it.

Evita 2007

Take a cue, America. Take a fucking cue. Argentina elected a girl lady to be their next President. Who is her predecessor? Why, her husband. Sounds familiar doesn't it....

But here are some funny things to consider:

1) They mention her clothes. A lot.
2) Her husband didn't do that great of a job, yet people elected her anyway. Her campaign (unlike a similar one here) didn't distance her from her husband. In fact, she rode his coattails all the way into the Pink House.
3) She had an unusual campaign in that she didn't debate, she spent more time abroad than domestically...and she was OK with the references to this lady.
4) This is super key: She only received 44% of the vote. That's it. Less than half. (This based on 86% of the precints reporting) So technically, she should feel pretty shitty because less than half the country wanted her to be president. Wait, wait for it....sounds familiar doesn't it? Based on Argentine laws, she avoids a run off with the winner up and any of the other ELEVEN candidates in the race because she had a decent margin of victory.
5) Of the roughly 40 million people who live in the country, a little over 27 million people voted. So where in the world were the other 13 million people?

So the reality is that the people of Argentina are pretty divided on who should be their leader, so I'm excited a girl lady person got elected, but one has to question the climate of the country when your leader only has the support of 44% of the people. Wait for it...wait for it: sounds familiar doesn't it?

Did anyone ask...I dunno: The Clinic or UH?

Who voted for these people? I SWEAR I didn't. This godawful Meddy Mart debacle is just getting started since now we can't decide WHERE to put it?

Both sides offer valid points, I don't have time to analyze them since I'm still busy being pissed about the tax hike.

This is why I wanted to burn down your log cabin in the first place

Ha! Fucking Republican homos. Isn't the term "Gay Republican" an oxymoron anyway? It should be. Mitt Romney cares about no one but himself. Ask that other Gay, Larry Craig.

Duh, this isn't like Katrina

These are mostly white people we're talking about. I mean there have been about THREE lives lost, whereas Katrina only had 1,193. So when you do the math..the formula being something like this:

1 white life = .005 black life

that means that...the death toll in California is higher.

When talking about response time on the part of FEMA and the like, the formula is:

white in distess = 2 second response time
black in distress = 3 day response time

So that means, FEMA has learned its lesson from New Orleans and has become exponentially more efficient in dealing with disaster situations. --->me being impressed.

And when one considers the deplorable conditions that Californians are forced to live in right now, you have to admit that they don't compare to the sparkling enclosed stadium that New Orleanians had the privilege of staying in for weeks. I think the guy in this picture is crying...no, wait...he's laughing. He was forced to undergo one of the massages they were giving out for free.

Vincent & 6th st.

Unbeknowst to me, I am Today's Special. ¡Que sabor!

Bittersweet Charity aka Go Rockies

Major League Baseball and World Vision Provide Postseason Apparel to Children and Families in Need
First Shipment of Merchandise to Help Flood Victims in Ghana

(CSRwire) October 23, 2007 - Major League Baseball today announced it is expanding its longstanding relationship with international relief organization World Vision by donating unsalable 2007 postseason MLB-licensed apparel to children and families in developing countries around the world.

Major League Baseball has previously worked with World Vision to donate counterfeit goods that have been confiscated by law enforcement. These efforts will continue during the 2007 postseason.

As teams are eliminated during the 2007 postseason an excess amount of inventory becomes available but is not salable. MLB will work with many of its licensees to ship the losing teams’ apparel to World Vision’s Gifts-in-Kind Distribution Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The goods will then be sorted and packaged for shipment to developing countries where World Vision has experienced staff and established product distribution networks. World Vision will ensure the items, which will be sent primarily to countries in Africa, are given to people in the greatest need."

Baseball is a social institution with enormous social responsibilities and this is a tremendous opportunity for Major League Baseball to make an impact on the lives of those in need around the world," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We are pleased to work with World Vision, which brings more than 50 years of experience successfully assisting millions of people around the world."

The initial shipment of merchandise will go to the African country of Ghana, which has recently experienced devastating flooding caused by weeks of torrential rains and the spillage from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso. Ghana’s government reports that 592 communities have been affected by the floods, with more than 20,000 homes destroyed and 260,000 people displaced.

"I am gratified to learn about the partnership of Major League Baseball and World Vision to provide assistance to flood victims in Northern Ghana," said U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Pamela E. Bridgewater. "This action clearly demonstrates that governments, businesses, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens can work together to help those in need when natural disasters occur. The collective response of the international community to flood victims in Ghana has been encouraging."

World Vision will carefully monitor and track the unsalable postseason merchandise as it makes its way to the intended beneficiaries. World Vision’s network and resources will offer a secure, turnkey process to effectively utilize excess inventory that might otherwise have been destroyed. "

The children and families we serve will take great joy in these goods," said Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, "especially right now in Ghana where thousands have lost their homes and what few possessions they had. World Vision thanks Major League Baseball and its partners for recognizing that even though these items are unsalable, they are of great value to many people in need around the world."

About World Vision Gifts-in-Kind
Gifts-in-Kind (GIK) are a company's first-quality, excess inventory donated to assist those in need, and World Vision provides these goods to millions of people in need each year. World Vision works in 100 countries, half of which have duty free status to import donations, and through 11 U.S. sites, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Appalachia. In the past 5 years, World Vision has placed $1.1 billion of donated goods from major corporations, such as clothing, shoes, medical supplies, books, school supplies, personal care, sporting goods and building materials.

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit http://www.worldvision.org/.

Editors note: Photos of the initial shipment being packaged in Pittsburgh are now available at http://www.mlbpressbox.com/.
-->
For more information please contact:
Karen Kartes, Director, Media RelationsWorld Vision253-815-2163http://www.worldvision.org/
Susan Goodenow, VP CommunicationsMajor League Baseball212-931-7878http://www.mlb.com/
Silvia AlvarezMajor League Baseball212-931-7878http://www.mlb.com/

Is it OK for disabled people to go to brothels?

Who knew this was an issue to debate? Well, it is. In fact the BBC is doing a special prime story on it. I have so many unanswered questions and weird, naughty thoughts about this whole thing. So...like...what's more important? A (dis)abled man getting laid, or the rights of sex workers? I guess this largely depends on your willingness to accept your own able-bodied privileges and the other part is hinged on how you view prostitution. Is prostitution part of a larger system of violence against women, or is it a consensual sex between two adults?

The comments section for this story also sheds some great insight into the issue. Also note the part where it says that there are some progams in the Netherlands that subsidize the differently-abled's trips to brothels. (Meanhile, here in the US, we can't get everyone healthcare.)

New Crush: Cute with Chris

Chris Leavins rocks my world.





MY FAVE

Dave's Mercado

I could look at this from a exploitative perspective. I mean...is the store exploiting Latino consumers? Maybe, but instead I am looking at this with a David and Goliath lens. The comments for this article are hilarious at best. Found this article after reading about a local bookstore that had to close because of large retailers like Borders and Barnes. Sock it to Wal-Mart, Dave. I'm rooting for you!

Dave's Market uses Hispanic emphasis to counter Wal-Mart
Posted by Zachary Lewis
October 23, 2007 07:58AM


Wal-Mart may have the lock on low prices, but it doesn't necessarily speak the language of its customers.That, at least, is what Dave's Markets is counting on as it braces for life in the shadow of a retail behemoth notorious for putting smaller merchants out of business.A 217,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter is set to open Wednesday at Cleveland's Steelyard Commons. To compete, Dave's converted its store near Ridge Road and Denison Avenue into Dave's Mercado, a grocery for the Hispanic community.

Attempting to beat Wal-Mart's prices is "not a good business strategy," said Dan Saltzman, president of Dave's Markets, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. "Going head-to-head with Wal-Mart on what they do best . . . has proven to be a very short-lived strategy. . .
"We felt it was more important to differentiate ourselves. We felt that that was the way to succeed."

At first glance, Dave's Mercado looks like any other newly renovated supermarket: clean, bright, well-organized.

"We tried to do it in a way that wouldn't be offensive to our [non-Hispanic] customers," Saltzman said.

But the differences aren't hard to spot. Signs are in Spanish as well as English. Employees wear badges reading "Yo Hablo Espanol" ("I speak Spanish"). Even the background music is Spanish.
Then there's the food itself. Plantains are available in the produce department, and at the deli, the takeout list includes red beans and rice. Goya products line entire aisles, not just a couple of shelves. There's goat in the meat area.

Saltzman said the company visited Hispanic groceries in Miami and New York City for insight into what Hispanic shoppers want.

Renovating the store -- one of 13 in the locally owned Dave's chain -- cost nearly $1 million, but the investment will be worthwhile if it helps Dave's hold on to its base, Saltzman said.

"Our best defense against them is to do what we do best . . . and hope our customers recognize the difference."

File this under WTF?! - Tuesday edition

Two gay inmates in Quebec will be able to tie the not in the prison chapel this week. Since gay marriage is legal there, the two men will enjoy the same matrimonial privileges that straight people can receive...sorta.

The story is funny because I'm trying to figure out when the two were able to court each other, and what are their plans should they be released back into society? Are they registered anywhere? Will there be a reception in the cafeteria? The article states there will be no honeymoon because prisoners can't have conjugal visits with each other - the couple stays in separate cells.

"David Bedard, 22, is serving a 10 year sentence for involuntary manslaughter while his partner Sony Martin, 26, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and is ineligible for parole before 2020."

"Bedard, in prison since 2006 and Martin, since 2002, will still be able to cross paths during hours when inmates from different cell blocks get to mingle, such as during lunch, gym and outdoor activity periods and well as other down time."

Kicked in the feelings - Boston edition

Boston kicked the Indians in the feelings last night with their triumph in the ALCS. S'ok.

Who wants him?

Mademoiselle Kitty rescued him from a bush in Lorain this weekend. He needs a home.


His eyes say so much.



I can't decided if this look is sultry or surly.





attacking the camera phone




cheesecake pose

10-25-07: Kitty has a home. Some 50 year old virgin guy adopted him.

Look, but don't touch

A new Ohio law took effect today. Just for the record, I signed the petition to get it put on the ballot to be challenged. These ass-tight conservatives in Ohio couldn't stop with trying to rob a woman of her right to choose, they also had to kill some women's source of income by curbing the activities of adult clubs. Here's a slice of it:

Highlights of Senate Bill 16, also known as the Community Defense Act:
Requires "sexually oriented businesses" to close between midnight and 6 a.m. Clubs with liquor permits can remain open after midnight, but adult entertainment must cease.

This includes adult bookstores, video stores and motion-picture theaters, sexual-device shops and "sexual encounter" centers. It does not cover businesses selling or renting R-rated movies.

Prohibits touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, or their clothing, in a club, anywhere on the premises or the parking lot. This excludes members of the dancer's immediate family.

Touching a dancer's genitals, buttocks or the "female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola" is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Any other contact is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.

Source: S.B. 16

And I thought all the crazy fundamentalists were in Iraq.

The Boss is Back...as if he ever left

From his appearance on the Today show.

I'm a fucking morale booster

A study released this week says that swearing at work helps boost morale and foster solidarity. Hell yes, bitches: teamwork is the shit. Of course with this good news comes bad news for women: when we do it, swearing can be seen as a negative for us.

Makeup!

Grrrreat photo essay about "putting your face on". Features this pic of my fave girl, as well as photos of drag queens, strippers, brides, dommes, and classic celebs.

Hidden and Forgotten Gems

Tropicalia - Beck



Popular - Nada Surf



Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in My Hand - Primitive Radio Gods



Butthole Surfers - Jimi

Be damn good...

Found this quote in an email newsletter:

"Whatever you are, be a good one." -- Abraham Lincoln

I'm not sure where to start with this one because there are so many directions in which to go with this one....

Places where this would be good on a poster:

• Strip Club
• Brothel
• Prison Cell
• Mental Ward
• My Bedroom

Tick Tick Boom

I should hate him, but I so don't

Drama ensues over this guy. Frickin' hilarious....what's scary is, what if he's right?

Controversial DNA pioneer's talk halted

LONDON - London's Science Museum canceled a Friday talk by Nobel Prize-winning geneticist James Watson after the co-discoverer of DNA's structure told a newspaper that Africans and Europeans had different levels of intelligence.

James Watson provoked widespread outrage with his comments to The Sunday Times, which quoted the 79-year-old American as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."

He told the paper he hoped that everyone was equal, but added: "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true."

The comments drew condemnation from British lawmakers, scientists, and civil rights campaigners. On Wednesday The Independent newspaper put Watson on its front page, against the words: "Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer."

Watson, who serves as chancellor of the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., was to deliver a sold-out lecture at the Science Museum, but on Wednesday night the institution said Watson's comments had gone too far and the event had been canceled.

Call to Watson's book publisher and his office in New York were not immediately returned.
This is not the first time Watson's speaking engagements have caused a stir.

The Independent catalogued a series of controversial statements from Watson, including one in which he reportedly suggested women should have the right to have abortions if tests could determine their children would be homosexual.

In 2000 Watson shocked an audience at the University of California, Berkeley, when he advanced a theory about a link between skin color and sex drive.

His lecture, complete with slides of bikini-clad women, argued that extracts of melanin — which give skin its color — had been found to boost subjects' sex drive.

"That's why you have Latin lovers," he said, according to people who attended the lecture. "You've never heard of an English lover. Only an English patient."

Telephone and e-mail messages left with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory after business hours Wednesday were not immediately returned.

I have a small crush on Ira Flatow

Yeah boyeeeeeeee, Moxie's now a member of her local NPR station. Maybe a lucky reader will be invited over her house to drink coffee in her sweet pledge gift, "I heard it on NPR" chocolate brown mugs. Hells yes.

I don't listen to it for the "intelligent talk", I listen to it for the radio hotties. I have ear sex with them.

Michele Norris

Ira Flatow

Diane Rehm

Wiggers and Oreos

Engaging broadcast on WCPN about acting white or Black. Showcases some national scholars on the subject and teenagers from area schools. Good listening.

Zipperheads at 10% off

Bookmark this: The Racial Slur Database

Sad and hilarious all at the same time. I'm on there like several times! See if you can find your ethnic or racial group! Add your faves to the comments section.

(Mrs) Honorable Samantha Grace

It all started with a mad dash across state lines with panicked calls for directions
flying past church windows only to miss my instructions
jokes with a genteel priest
hugs and greetings
scribbled greeting cards written in a parking lot
polish homecooked meals in a strip mall
crabtree and evelyn gifts
talkative blonde little girls
new faces and small talk over cake
frantic searches for last minute spa trips
plum colored nails painted by russian (european?) women
sugar scrubs on the body
a knock on the door from the quiet groom
an exclusive view of the reception hall
a pensive ride to the church...with traffic jams and oil spills
a bossy florist
some tears
a vocalist that seemed to come straight out of Steel Magnolias
the book of Jeremiah
a stop at the liquor store on the way to an open bar
two meat buffett
pretentious friends
a hottie boi grrl photographer
a note slipped in her bag
a cheesy DJ
a dance to raunchy Christina Aguilera
funny parents
instant kareoke
sore feet
a couple fucking loudly in the room next to mine
a meet up with an ex
good coffee that wasn't from Starbucks
a safe drive home

all because The Honorable Samantha Grace got married this weekend.

Monday Music

Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive is African-American!

Well...I mean...technically she is, but it's just Charlize Theron, who is from South Africa. But this is important to me for one reason only: I WAS RIGHT! I guessed her after the second clue!

Charlize is reppin' for all my sistas out there! You go girl, on being the first African-American SWA!

Which Black America

Which Black America?
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, October 9, 2007; Page A17

What do Fox News polemicist Bill O'Reilly, nappy-headed radio jock Don Imus, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the leading Republican presidential candidates, the National Urban League, the NAACP and much of the national media have in common?

They don't see, or don't want to admit, that "black America" is an increasingly meaningless concept -- nearly as imprecise as just plain "America."

Why is O'Reilly under siege? Because he was shocked to learn that there exists in this country an upscale black-owned restaurant with an affluent African American clientele. Four or five decades ago, you could reasonably generalize that "black America" was poor. Today, African Americans control nearly $800 billion in annual purchasing power -- enough to dine occasionally at restaurants that have tablecloths.

Why did Imus get fired by CBS and NBC? Because now there are senior black professionals in both of those companies with the clout to march into top executives' offices and argue that Imus had to go. Also because Al Roker, an African American who happens to be one of the stars of "Today" -- often described as the most profitable show in all of television -- called publicly for Imus's head, or at least his cowboy hat.

Why does Thomas, in his pugnacious autobiography, insist that he's being persecuted for holding views that are somehow off-limits to black Americans? Apparently, it would destroy his sense of his own exceptionalism to acknowledge the many African Americans who share his conservative social views and his ethic of personal responsibility and self-help. (He's right, though, that on the subject of affirmative action, most black Americans do think he's nuts.) Why do the leading Republican candidates simply write off the African American vote, even though there's clearly a growing number of black voters who demographically fit the Republican profile? Hasn't the GOP noticed that here in the Washington area -- we're in the vanguard, but other cities are following our lead -- more African Americans live in the suburbs than in the city proper?

The Democratic candidates haven't really broadened their messages to take into account African American economic and cultural diversity, either. But at least they noticed that there now exists a cohort of black Americans with unprecedented wealth and power -- luminaries who are well worth pursuing for money and endorsements, just like their white counterparts. Hillary Clinton has snagged Magic Johnson, Bob Johnson, Quincy Jones and others. Barack Obama has nabbed Oprah Winfrey, who transcends even the rest of the transcendent.

Why does the National Urban League, an organization for which I have great respect, compile its annual "State of Black America" report in a way that makes the condition of African Americans seem both better and worse than it really is? The 2007 report's painstakingly calculated "equality index" says, for example, that African Americans score 0.57 on the economic scale (full parity with whites would be a score of 1.0). But census data suggest that there's a sizable cluster of educated, middle-class black households that would score much closer to parity with whites, and another large cluster of disadvantaged black households that would lag much further behind.

Trying to encompass all of black America in a few easily grasped numbers is far from a meaningless exercise. But it doesn't point the way toward specific policies for different segments of a diverse population.

Why has the NAACP, once such a potent force, lost so much of its membership and relevance? I would argue that it's because the organization continues to look for a "black agenda" around which we can all unite with the fervor and passion of decades past, when in fact there's a need for multiple agendas.

Why do editors, reporters, columnists and television producers keep only two phone numbers on speed dial for use whenever any news breaks concerning a black person? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't call the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for comment -- I like and respect both, and I value what they have to say. But it's a bit much when those same reporters, editors, columnists and producers then proceed to do stories asking who appointed Jackson and Sharpton as spokesmen for all African Americans.

The problem is that we all say we want an "honest dialogue" about race, but we've been having the same old arguments for years -- affirmative action, inner-city dysfunction, overt and covert racism -- and we seem to be stuck. We need a new language, a new vocabulary and syntax.
Let's start by opening our eyes and recognizing that if there ever was a monolithic "black America" -- absolutely and uniformly deprived and aggrieved, with invariant values and attitudes -- there certainly isn't one now.

$44

I get that they have to do this, but still this sucks. And of course the morons at Positvely Cleveland see the glass as half full on this one.

Abby likes the gays

Dear Abby openly supports the queers. Cool. PFLAG is honoring her with an award this week. She keeps it trizzeal on the gay issues and has no apologies about it.

Word.

Positively Lame

Positively Not Necessary...
Positively Not Original...
Positively A Waste of Money...
Positively a Laughing Stock...
Positively Who in the Hell's Opinion Did You Ask About This...

Positively Cleveland, from the people who brought you Cleveland+

I'm not sure I even have to say anything on this one

Gives new meaning to getting a house "on time"

by Peter Murphy

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Poor punctuality is such a brake on Ivory Coast's economic development that the West African country has come up with a novel way to combat tardiness: win a house if you demonstrate you can turn up on time.

Backed by President Laurent Gbagbo and devised by a local public relations firm, "Punctuality Night" kicked off at eight o'clock sharp Saturday night, rewarding business people and civil servants for exceptional timekeeping.

Pitched with the slogan "'African time' is killing Africa, let's fight it," its organizers hope to heighten awareness of how missed appointments, meetings or even late buses cut productivity in a region where languid tardiness is the norm.

Legal adviser Narcisse Aka, winner of what the organizers hope will be an annual event, is so unusually good at being punctual that his colleagues call him "Mr White Man's Time."

"You have the impression of being an extra-terrestrial because you are with people who consider that being late is quite normal," said Aka, who clinched the top of the nine prizes awarded, a $60,000 villa.

Organizers made unannounced spot checks at the workplaces of 30 shortlisted nominees in the run-up to the event to check their punctuality credentials and will soon offer a Web page on which people can name and shame tardy public servants.

"Being on time here is rare. The problem is it's such a habit, we're used to it," said Abou Zounglas, waiting for customers at his roadside watch repair stall in Abidjan.

More than a decade after he left office, people still talk with awe of how former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara would make early morning checks in civil servants' offices to catch late comers, making him both friends and foes.

But if anyone truly is conscious of the idea that time is money, it is surely Abidjan's impatient, horn-honking taxi drivers trying to cram as many trips as possible into a shift.

"We're in a hurry to drop one customer off and pick up another to make money," said Adama Sangare at the wheel of one of the city's thousands of orange cabs, ushering his next customer to get in quickly.

hat tip to CYBT

Something smells....

...it's your Sox. Go Tribe.

Remembering

Moxie's Theme Song

For the plane, for the bus, for bedtime

Naked: Black Women Bare All about Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts by Ayana Byrd

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill

The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Feels like the crowd is sayin'....

Even Sinead O'Connor has Brit's back.

AND "Gimme More" is kicking ass on the Billboard charts.

"It's Britney, bitch" indeed.

Songs I'm ashamed of liking

Kanye's cocky and uses the word, "dyke" in his lyrics. But man...those beats. It's like the new "Eye of the Tiger" in the way it gets you pumped up. Plus, he samples Daft Punk and that gives him super mad crossover cred.

Here's the Daft Punk original song (not original video) for your listening enjoyment.


Then, that PCD of ambiguous ethnic origin, Nicole "how-do-you-spell-or-pronounce-her-last-name" Scherzinger has this hot solo single and the video is completely anti-fem. It starts with a stylized gang rape attempt for crying out loud. And T.I.'s lyrics....someone call Kim Gandy at NOW. *sigh* But the song is catchy! I'm sorry.

Um...ok.

Nike unveils special shoes for Native Americans. Apparently after years of research they have a shoe designed for the contours of the Native American foot.

Is Harvard a charity?

Most donations go to institutions that serve the rich; they shouldn't be fully tax-deductible.
By Robert B. Reich
October 1, 2007
LA Times

This year's charitable donations are expected to total more than $200 billion, a record. But a big portion of this impressive sum -- especially from the wealthy, who have the most to donate -- is going to culture palaces: to the operas, art museums, symphonies and theaters where the wealthy spend much of their leisure time. It's also being donated to the universities they attended and expect their children to attend, perhaps with the added inducement of knowing that these schools often practice a kind of affirmative action for "legacies."

I'm all in favor of supporting the arts and our universities, but let's face it: These aren't really charitable contributions. They're often investments in the lifestyles the wealthy already enjoy and want their children to have too. They're also investments in prestige -- especially if they result in the family name being engraved on the new wing of an art museum or symphony hall.

It's their business how they donate their money, of course. But not entirely. Charitable donations to just about any not-for-profit are deductible from income taxes. This year, for instance, the U.S. Treasury will be receiving about $40 billion less than it would if the tax code didn't allow for charitable deductions. (That's about the same amount the government now spends on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is what remains of welfare.) Like all tax deductions, this gap has to be filled by other tax revenues or by spending cuts, or else it just adds to the deficit.

I see why a contribution to, say, the Salvation Army should be eligible for a charitable deduction. It helps the poor. But why, exactly, should a contribution to the already extraordinarily wealthy Guggenheim Museum or to Harvard University (which already has an endowment of more than $30 billion)?Awhile ago, New York's Lincoln Center had a gala supported by the charitable contributions of hedge-fund industry leaders, some of whom take home $1 billion a year. I may be missing something, but this doesn't strike me as charity. Poor New Yorkers rarely attend concerts at Lincoln Center.

It turns out that only an estimated 10% of all charitable deductions are directed at the poor. So here's a modest proposal. At a time when the number of needy continues to rise, when government doesn't have the money to do what's necessary for them and when America's very rich are richer than ever, we should revise the tax code: Focus the charitable deduction on real charities.

If the donation goes to an institution or agency set up to help the poor, the donor gets a full deduction. If the donation goes somewhere else -- to an art palace, a university, a symphony or any other nonprofit -- the donor gets to deduct only half of the contribution.

Robert B. Reich, author of "Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life," was secretary of Labor under President Clinton.

This won't last long

LeBron on SNL (gross) shines some light on Cleveland....

The Tribe clinches Central...

...and now RTA is one of the best transit systems in North America.

Schweet.