Grammy Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List
It's remarkable just how much I don't care about the Grammys.
Showing posts with label Rolling Stone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rolling Stone. Show all posts
Death From The Last Guardian 1979
For years, fans have been waiting for news about this most treasured of projects. There have been rumors going around about this project and the team behind it. Some have said that the team has broken up. Some have said that the project has been abandoned. Some have refuted these claims. Some have even said that this project, and the team behind it, is alive and well. Like many fans, I have been following news of this project and this team very closely, and news that I received this week served as both a welcome update and something that I can scarcely believe. But I want to believe. I want to believe with every fiber in my being.
Oh, Death From Above 1979, you have no idea how welcome news this is.
More Human Rights Abuses Detailed
Recent days have seen reports of disturbing human rights abuses ongoing in many parts of the world. This includes the recent UN report about the long term and systemic abuses perpetrated by the North Korean government, abuses that were also reported on by CBS's 60 Minutes. There are also reports of human rights abuses going on in the Central African Republic and in Venezuela. However, a report printed by Rolling Stone magazine sheds light on some of the most horrific and unchecked human rights abuses of all.
This is Skrillex. Skrillex, real name Sonny John Moore, is an alleged electronic musician and singer-songwriter. Working out of his home in Los Angeles, Skrillex has collaborated with several well meaning artists and musicians to produce something that those that have knowledge of find disturbing. It is called "dubstep", an so-called artform that has already been labeled as a crime against humanity. Skrillex is accused of committing his crimes in 2004, 2006, 2009, twice in 2010, twice again in 2011, 2012, twice again in 2013, and yet again in the early months of 2014. Rather than being called out for his crimes, this sick individual has been lauded my many media organizations, although arguments have been made that such media coverage is meant to curry favor with many influential persons inside the Hollywood music establishment.
While the severity of Sonny Moore's crimes are still in dispute, what is known is that "Skrillex" frequently makes appearances in front of crowds of people, many of whom are reported to be on substances of an illegal nature. These performances, or "concerts" as insiders are calling them, are choreographed and coordinated rituals meant to derive feeling of euphoria and joy among the gathered throngs. Such gatherings often leave the attendants with a higher sense of connection with the person, or persons, they came to see.
It is not the indoctrinated that need to be reached about the crimes committed by Skrillex, it is the others. The many many others who stand by, see reports of this man's crimes, and think nothing of what they are hearing that need to be motivated. People cannot stand aside and do nothing. People must act. And by act, I mean really acting, not just bitching about things on Twitter. A stand must be made. So I urge you, do not purchase any of Mr. Moore's albums and do not go see him in concert. Instead, go see Beck.
Class Power
Let's Put Power To Work
There is something that I find disturbing about the recent revelations involving Lance Armstrong. In their piece written for Sports Illustrated, Alexander Wolff and David Epstein pour over "164 pages punctuated by chilling detail, and more than 850 pages of addenda and documentary evidence". The piece details testimony obtained from many different witnesses from many different walks of life who filled many different roles in Lance Armstrong's life and his doping.
"A Massive Fraud Now More Fully Exposed" is based mostly on sworn testimony obtained by federal officials. A lot of investigative work went into getting to the truth behind Lance Armstrong's doping allegations, which lead to Armstrong feeling the consequences for his actions. Why is this kind of effort not being put into investigating the alleged crimes committed by the people responsible for the banking crisis in 2008? Why has no one responsible for the banking crisis been convicted, or even brought to trail?
In a September 3, 2012 piece written for Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi detailed the disparity in the resources put into investigations made involving banking officials and athletes. Quoting from the piece:
The government assigned 93 agents to the Clemens case, who collectively interviewed 179 individuals in 68 locations and produced a total of 235 reports. The mortgage task force? It was stuck at “about 50 or 60″ attorneys for much of the year, according to insiders – and many of those first staffers were provided by smaller federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Did this story make much of a dent in the national narrative about these investigations? No. Did the Department Of Justice make any corrections to close this disparity? No.
On April 27, 2012, before Matt Taibbi's story was written, 60 Minutes did a piece where they detailed fraud perpetrated by the CEO of Lehman Brothers before it's collapse. 60 Minutes told of how Richard Fuld signed documents asserting that Lehman Brother was a financially sound organization, assertions which he knew to be false. This action by Richard Fuld was not only fraudulent, it was a crime, a violation of Securities and Exchange Commission policy. Did this story make much of a dent in the national narrative about Lehman Brothers? No. Did the Department Of Justice take action in response to this story? No.
On March 1, 2009, 60 Minutes did a story about Harry Markopolos. Harry Markopolos on several different occasions warned the SEC about investments made by Bernie Maddoff, warning that the SEC did nothing with. In fact, as this story details, the SEC didn't find out about Bernie Maddoff's ponzie scheme untill the scheme was on the verge of collapse and Bernie Maddoff told officials of his crime. Did this story make much of a dent in the national narrative about Bernie Maddoff? No. There are people who still think that the SEC busted Maddoff, when it was Bernie Maddoff who dropped the dime on himself.
Recently, the Curt Schilling headed 38 Studios collapsed in a way that directly affected the public. 38 Studios received loans from the state of Rhode Island, loans that it defaulted on. The studio collapsed, causing 309 people to lose their jobs. Not only that, several of the people who lost their jobs found out that they had more outstanding debt than they thought they did. As a part of hiring people to work on it's projects, 38 Studios offered help with moving expenses to perspective employees. This help included taking on the home loans of several employees. 38 Studios promised that they would sell the homes on behalf of the employee so that the employee could buy new homes near their new jobs. As it turns out, they didn't. Several of the people who had previously been employed with 38 Studios not only found themselves out of a job but also drowning in debt. On September 30, 2012, it was announced that no criminal charges would be filed in relation to the 38 Studios collapse. Did the collapse of 38 Studios, the unfulfilled promises they made to taxpayers and employees, and the regulators inability to find anything worthy of a criminal prosecution make a dent in the national narrative about corporate culture in this country? No. Did the Department Of Justice learn a lesson from the regulatory failures of the banking collapse? Clearly no.
There is something wrong with this situation. Corporations have and continue to commit fraud. Ordinary people continue to take it on the chin when corporations commit fraud, costing the ordinary consumer money and jobs. Regulators, politicians, and business leaders vow to make changes to prevent situations like this from happening. But they still happen. They keep on happening. The situation never seems to change. What's worse, people aren't demanding that it does change. They just put their hopes in the same people who have promised to make the changes they want, who then fail to do so. Why? Why aren't people up in arms about this? Why aren't people outraged about this? Why aren't people doing anything about this?
Sure, we had the Occupy protests, some of which continue on to this day, but those protests weren't organized around a single goal. All the Occupy protests amounted to was a bunch of people sitting in the park talking about how things sucked without actually doing anything to make it not suck.
Change needs to be made. The people who commit financial fraud don't need to be brought to justice, the customers who made committing fraud such an appealing proposition need to not do business with fraudsters and thieves. We need to look at the people we do business with and see if they are good honest people before we do business with them. We cannot count on those who commit financial fraud to be brought to justice We have seen through the regulators actions that the people who are tasked to enforce the rules are more interested in pursuing athletes, who's financial impact on out society is minuscule compared to people who commit financial fraud.
We have a power as customers in financial matters. Let's put that power to work.
****- Uncompromising And Annoying Mansluts
John Mayer Wants Bono
In a recent interview in Rolling Stone magazine, manslut and alleged rock and roll star John Mayer said that he’s searching for “The Joshua Tree of vaginas.” John also said the following:
“I want to find a vagina where I could run. I want to find a vagina where I could hide. I want to tear down the vaginal walls that hold me inside. I want to take shelter form the poison rain where the vaginas have no name.”
Annoying Man Wanted Dead Or Alive
On Monday, January 25th, in the year of your lord 2010, the 2010 Utah State Legislature got underway. As is customary, at the start of the session, the President of the Utah State Senate addressed his fellow legislators about the various issues they would be facing. This year, for the first time in memory, there was background music accompanying this speech. The choice of background music was curious to say the least.
Utah State Senate President Michael G. Waddoups, pictured above, gave a rousing speech, including an analogy equating the journey of a seashell to the journey taken when deciding on a statewide governmental budget. You would think that a speech of this nature would be accompanied by a nautical theme, say Christopher Cross’s Sailing or Sea of Time from The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” album, but that was not the case. The song playing behind Waddoups’s annual legislative address was John Williams’s The Imperial March, composed for the 1979 science fiction film “Star Wars”.
When asked about the choice of music for his speech, Mr. Waddoups said, “I didn’t choose the music for my speech, this goofy looking red headed kid who interns for me did. It sounds good though, what is it?” When informed what the song was and the connotations that come with it, Mr. Waddoups punched the reporter asking the question in the face and called him, “An insolent knave.”
Salt Lake City Police are currently searching for this man, seen here about to engage in oral sex on a Utah Transit Authority TRAX train. He is charged with disruption of legislative business, general mischief, and atheism with intent to distribute. There is currently a $4.7 Million bounty on this person’s head. He is wanted dead or alive, preferable dead.
Demon’s Souls Review
When I was a young kid, in the times before I knew the world sucked, I wanted to play on this jungle gym at my elementary school. This piece of equipment looked like such a blast. There were monkey bars, slides, a captain’s wheel, all the things that hold endless fun for kids. There was just one catch. In order to play on this jungle gym, I had to get past Travis.
Travis was a bully. More specifically he was my bully. At times I felt that the only pleasure Travis got out of life was to rob my of any pleasure I might have. Travis patrolled the jungle gym area just waiting for the opportunity to prevent me from playing on that piece of equipment. Travis was really successful at doing this. No matter what direction I came from, how fast I approached, what tactics I used in my attempts, Travis repelled me each and every time. Well, not quite every time.
One day I decided to emulate my favorite cartoon at the time and try my hand at being a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I didn’t have any weapons but I did know how to kick and punch, at least I thought I did. Travis easily repelled my attempt to enter the jungle gym by merely standing there and shoving me away. In my time of desperation, I did something I have never thought of before. I kicked Travis in the balls.
This action worked surprisingly well. Travis was instantly on the ground crying and I was sprinting toward the jungle gym. Awash in the feeling of complete triumph, I began to climb the rope ladder I had long before dreamed of scaling. This is when I first met Travis’s brother Thomas.
Thomas threw me off the jungle gym so fast I know I broke the sound barrier. This memory came back to me often as I played Demon’s Souls. I swear while I was playing this game I said, “Damn you Travis! Damn you Thomas! I just want to play on the mother fucking monkey bars!”
Demon’s Souls: C-
Flame Retardant Onions
Candles are a great way to create a sense of mood and atmosphere. However they really suck as a light source. I fear that if my girlfriend doesn’t come to our split-level cookie cutter love nest soon that she’ll be welcomed by utter darkness, save this overpriced, overly pungent cylinder of wax and wax byproducts. I was planning on the light from the bay window providing sufficient light for our romantic encounter. It’s too bad that the sun eventually sets over the horizon. Also that the window in question faces east.
Maybe the lasagna I made can be of some help here. I already burnt the damn thing to a crisp. Perhaps if I leave it in the oven and jacked up the temperature I’ll have a non-stick baking pan full of fire. I don’t know where I went wrong with it. I followed the directions exactly, except for the onions. I don’t like onions. I just don’t. Whatever I eat that has onions in it tastes only of onions to me. Maybe onions are a natural flame retardant. Maybe onions would have prevented me from overcooking the lasagna. That or I could have paid more attention to my cooking instead of spending the evening playing Mario while the focus of my romantic dinner slowly turned to inedible blackness. Either way, I messed up.
As I wait for my love, looking at the various things my girlfriend uses to decorate our cookie cutter love nest, I’m more and more regretting buying this banner that’s hanging over my head. I thought I’d be clever and convey the message in complete leet speek, but even I don’t know what it says at this point, and I wrote the damn thing. “|-|4PPY \/413|\|TI|\|35 I)4Y!!1!” What? Not only is the banner impossible to read to ninety-nine percent of the population, the darker it gets the more incomprehensible those letters, numbers, and symbols get.
I hear that annoying as hell cuckoo clock begin to chime. “Cock-a-doodle-do! Cock-a-doodle-do!” Twelve times it chimes. I know that isn’t right. I know the clock is running fast. I know I should get it fixed, but I haven’t the faintest idea where I could take that damn clock to get that done. It’s one of the many perils of buying things online. That and accidentally buying a cuckoo clock that sounds like Danny DeVito. Here’s a helpful hint: Do not buy anything from a seller named “xXALWAYSSUNNYFAN420Xx”.
Here’s Robin now. Hello sugarlumps. Yes, I waited up for you and attempted to make a romantic dinner for you. I failed but at least we have wine, Ritz crackers, and more wine. That’s romantic right?
What? Yes I did burn the lasagna. There’s something else burning? Oh. Oh damn. I thought it was bright in here. I guess those candles you bought at my mother’s candle party aren’t completely worthless. They set that failtastic romantic banner on fire. Perhaps next time I’ll slather it with onions. Those are flame retardant, right?
What’s that? Oh. I love you too Robin. Happy Valentine’s Day. How would you kindly use that fire extinguisher to put out my hair?
I Am Not Kidding About This
There are very few Republican ideals that I agree with. One of those few ideals is the concept of limited government. That government should have a limited role in our everyday lives, and that while vigilant oversight is needed in many aspects of modern life, we don’t need the government watching over our shoulder ensuring that we do what is right. Utah is a heavily Republican state, but apparently Utah politicians do not believe in the concept of limited government. An argument can be made that this is manifest on Utah’s Amendment 3, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, however a stronger argument can be made about a proclamation proposed in the current session of the Utah State Legislature by state senator, Wayne Niederhauser
New "Declaration of the Family Resolution" surfaces on Utah's capitol Hill
Quoting from the story linked above:
“Niederhause told ABC 4, "I think its good to periodically remind the public that the family is an important institution in the fabric of society."
And Niederhausder's resolution does so using very emphatic language.
Here some excerpts:
"...the sovereignty...of Utah is built upon the family unit."
"…the family is the source of all that is of benefit to humankind."
and "…the family encompasses the workmanship of the Creator..."”
In a recent interview in Rolling Stone magazine, manslut and alleged rock and roll star John Mayer said that he’s searching for “The Joshua Tree of vaginas.” John also said the following:
“I want to find a vagina where I could run. I want to find a vagina where I could hide. I want to tear down the vaginal walls that hold me inside. I want to take shelter form the poison rain where the vaginas have no name.”
Annoying Man Wanted Dead Or Alive
On Monday, January 25th, in the year of your lord 2010, the 2010 Utah State Legislature got underway. As is customary, at the start of the session, the President of the Utah State Senate addressed his fellow legislators about the various issues they would be facing. This year, for the first time in memory, there was background music accompanying this speech. The choice of background music was curious to say the least.
Utah State Senate President Michael G. Waddoups, pictured above, gave a rousing speech, including an analogy equating the journey of a seashell to the journey taken when deciding on a statewide governmental budget. You would think that a speech of this nature would be accompanied by a nautical theme, say Christopher Cross’s Sailing or Sea of Time from The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” album, but that was not the case. The song playing behind Waddoups’s annual legislative address was John Williams’s The Imperial March, composed for the 1979 science fiction film “Star Wars”.
When asked about the choice of music for his speech, Mr. Waddoups said, “I didn’t choose the music for my speech, this goofy looking red headed kid who interns for me did. It sounds good though, what is it?” When informed what the song was and the connotations that come with it, Mr. Waddoups punched the reporter asking the question in the face and called him, “An insolent knave.”
Salt Lake City Police are currently searching for this man, seen here about to engage in oral sex on a Utah Transit Authority TRAX train. He is charged with disruption of legislative business, general mischief, and atheism with intent to distribute. There is currently a $4.7 Million bounty on this person’s head. He is wanted dead or alive, preferable dead.
Demon’s Souls Review
When I was a young kid, in the times before I knew the world sucked, I wanted to play on this jungle gym at my elementary school. This piece of equipment looked like such a blast. There were monkey bars, slides, a captain’s wheel, all the things that hold endless fun for kids. There was just one catch. In order to play on this jungle gym, I had to get past Travis.
Travis was a bully. More specifically he was my bully. At times I felt that the only pleasure Travis got out of life was to rob my of any pleasure I might have. Travis patrolled the jungle gym area just waiting for the opportunity to prevent me from playing on that piece of equipment. Travis was really successful at doing this. No matter what direction I came from, how fast I approached, what tactics I used in my attempts, Travis repelled me each and every time. Well, not quite every time.
One day I decided to emulate my favorite cartoon at the time and try my hand at being a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I didn’t have any weapons but I did know how to kick and punch, at least I thought I did. Travis easily repelled my attempt to enter the jungle gym by merely standing there and shoving me away. In my time of desperation, I did something I have never thought of before. I kicked Travis in the balls.
This action worked surprisingly well. Travis was instantly on the ground crying and I was sprinting toward the jungle gym. Awash in the feeling of complete triumph, I began to climb the rope ladder I had long before dreamed of scaling. This is when I first met Travis’s brother Thomas.
Thomas threw me off the jungle gym so fast I know I broke the sound barrier. This memory came back to me often as I played Demon’s Souls. I swear while I was playing this game I said, “Damn you Travis! Damn you Thomas! I just want to play on the mother fucking monkey bars!”
Demon’s Souls: C-
Flame Retardant Onions
Candles are a great way to create a sense of mood and atmosphere. However they really suck as a light source. I fear that if my girlfriend doesn’t come to our split-level cookie cutter love nest soon that she’ll be welcomed by utter darkness, save this overpriced, overly pungent cylinder of wax and wax byproducts. I was planning on the light from the bay window providing sufficient light for our romantic encounter. It’s too bad that the sun eventually sets over the horizon. Also that the window in question faces east.
Maybe the lasagna I made can be of some help here. I already burnt the damn thing to a crisp. Perhaps if I leave it in the oven and jacked up the temperature I’ll have a non-stick baking pan full of fire. I don’t know where I went wrong with it. I followed the directions exactly, except for the onions. I don’t like onions. I just don’t. Whatever I eat that has onions in it tastes only of onions to me. Maybe onions are a natural flame retardant. Maybe onions would have prevented me from overcooking the lasagna. That or I could have paid more attention to my cooking instead of spending the evening playing Mario while the focus of my romantic dinner slowly turned to inedible blackness. Either way, I messed up.
As I wait for my love, looking at the various things my girlfriend uses to decorate our cookie cutter love nest, I’m more and more regretting buying this banner that’s hanging over my head. I thought I’d be clever and convey the message in complete leet speek, but even I don’t know what it says at this point, and I wrote the damn thing. “|-|4PPY \/413|\|TI|\|35 I)4Y!!1!” What? Not only is the banner impossible to read to ninety-nine percent of the population, the darker it gets the more incomprehensible those letters, numbers, and symbols get.
I hear that annoying as hell cuckoo clock begin to chime. “Cock-a-doodle-do! Cock-a-doodle-do!” Twelve times it chimes. I know that isn’t right. I know the clock is running fast. I know I should get it fixed, but I haven’t the faintest idea where I could take that damn clock to get that done. It’s one of the many perils of buying things online. That and accidentally buying a cuckoo clock that sounds like Danny DeVito. Here’s a helpful hint: Do not buy anything from a seller named “xXALWAYSSUNNYFAN420Xx”.
Here’s Robin now. Hello sugarlumps. Yes, I waited up for you and attempted to make a romantic dinner for you. I failed but at least we have wine, Ritz crackers, and more wine. That’s romantic right?
What? Yes I did burn the lasagna. There’s something else burning? Oh. Oh damn. I thought it was bright in here. I guess those candles you bought at my mother’s candle party aren’t completely worthless. They set that failtastic romantic banner on fire. Perhaps next time I’ll slather it with onions. Those are flame retardant, right?
What’s that? Oh. I love you too Robin. Happy Valentine’s Day. How would you kindly use that fire extinguisher to put out my hair?
I Am Not Kidding About This
There are very few Republican ideals that I agree with. One of those few ideals is the concept of limited government. That government should have a limited role in our everyday lives, and that while vigilant oversight is needed in many aspects of modern life, we don’t need the government watching over our shoulder ensuring that we do what is right. Utah is a heavily Republican state, but apparently Utah politicians do not believe in the concept of limited government. An argument can be made that this is manifest on Utah’s Amendment 3, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, however a stronger argument can be made about a proclamation proposed in the current session of the Utah State Legislature by state senator, Wayne Niederhauser
New "Declaration of the Family Resolution" surfaces on Utah's capitol Hill
Quoting from the story linked above:
“Niederhause told ABC 4, "I think its good to periodically remind the public that the family is an important institution in the fabric of society."
And Niederhausder's resolution does so using very emphatic language.
Here some excerpts:
"...the sovereignty...of Utah is built upon the family unit."
"…the family is the source of all that is of benefit to humankind."
and "…the family encompasses the workmanship of the Creator..."”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
