Transgender Day of Remembrance

So its been a long while since I’ve posted, being so busy with work and a musical I am currently in. But I have been working on this article for a while and now I’m glad its ready. I hope it do it justice.

For most people November 20th, is just another day. People in the United States are prepping for the holidays possibly making sure they have all the right elements ready for Thanksgiving. People in Mexico might be observing the Anniversary of the Revolution, Unicef has their Children’s Day, and a small percentage of people, like me, will be observing November 20th as Transgender Day of Remembrance.

So what is Transgender Day of Remembrance? Its a day not just for those of us who are transgendered, or any other gender-variant. Its a day that that is set aside for EVERYONE to bind together and remember those killed due to anti-transgender hatred. It first started to honor Rita Hester, who was murdered in November of 1998. [Read more]

Five ways to ease the pain of Blackberry Thumb and a failing mobile marriage

Whoever coined the term “Crackberry” was spot on. There are now over 12 million Blackberry users married to their Curves, Pearls and Bolds. However, not all marriages end happily ever after.

Repetitive thumb movements have left many of us bruised and broken with Blackberry Thumb, a repetitive strain injury attributed to constant Blackberry use. Pain at the thumb base, joint and web space between the thumb and index finger are all tell tale signs that maybe your mobile marriage needs a break. Yet, like a sex addicted Duchovny we stubbornly type, text and scroll through the motions of a digital love/hate relationship.

Is your Blackberry lovin’ stressing out your thumb? Here are five solutions to ease the strain on your mobile marriage: [Read more]

Microwavable Snack or Snack of Death?

Described by comedian Jim Gaffigan as “Diarrhea Pockets”, Nestle’s Hot Pockets has been a cultural icon in the United States far more than you probably know. Almost every person has heard the Jim Gaffigan big on “Hot Pockets”, but many of us haven’t realized the impact this microwavable meal has on our lives.

Let’s take a closer look at the social history of these micro-snacks, their varying definitions and the birth of terms like Hot Pocket Syndrome and Alabama Hot Pocket: [Read more]

Sarah Barracuda according to Wikipedia

Since the RNC convention, the McCain campaign has been using the song “Barracuda,” by Heart when Sarah Palin takes the stage. Despite the cease and desist that the band has placed on the campaign for using the song without permission they continue to play it. Sisters Nancy & Ann Wilson said this of the use of their song:

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

Sarah Palin claims she received the nickname in high school because of the way she aggressively played basketball. And, it stuck. But why? In order to understand the lasting nickname I decided to look in to exactly what a Barracuda is. And, what better place for information than Wikipedia? [Read more]

The Altamont, NY SoCo Music Experience: Drink Responsibly. Party Hard - Part 1

The Altamont Fairgrounds in NY was the last stop of the Soco Music Experience, a six market traveling music festival featuring recording artists like The Roots, The Black Keys, The Flaming Lips, Lotus and Justice. Of course, there was plenty of Southern Comfort to guzzle down.

Highlights of the event consisted of photo booths (Spin Magazine / Complex Magazine), a last minute set by Matt and Kim (replacing MGMT), couples awkwardly making out on film, VIP dinner, free drinks and stellar performances by electronica jam band, Lotus and French duo/cult leaders, Justice.

Check out the photo story below:

(Lack of inhibitions starts on page 4…)

Videos coming soon!

Web Creator Cleans Up Net

The creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, says more needs to be done to banish false information and rumours from the web.

Talking to the UK’s BBC News prior to the launch of a new World Wide Web Foundation which aims to improve online accessibility, Sir Tim says he is becoming ever more concerned about the amount of false information published into cyberspace.

To help combat such a problem, The World Wide Web Foundation plans to help weed out rumours and rubbish information by vetting websites and marking those deemed to be reliable sources of news and information.

However, he was the first to admit that this may be a more complicated matter than meets the eye. [Read more]

Jason Bateman: Greatest Actor Ever?

Report by Thaddeus Stanley, Army of Epiphenomenon

Since first turning heads as little James Cooper Ingalls alongside Michael Landon on Little House on the Prairie, critics have considered Jason Bateman one of the finest actors of our, or any, generation. With a resume that includes Silver Spoons, The Hogan Family, Chicago Sons, and Arrested Development, Bateman has solidified his place in the hearts of television viewing Americans. Add to that, silver screen turns in such hits as Teen Wolf Too, The Kingdom, and The Ex, there is no doubt that Bateman is one of the finest actors to ever practice the art. But is he the best of all who have shadowed the stage and screen? What follows is a list of reasons that prove Jason Bateman is, in fact, the greatest actor the World has ever known. [Read more]

Will the World Really End on Wednesday?

Europeans switch on the ‘Big Bang Machine’.

Scientists on the French/Swiss border are about to embark on a mammoth experiment which sceptics say could spell the end of the world.

The particle accelerator experiment, due to be launched on Wednesday, September 10^th, is hoped to reveal amazing new secrets about the birth of our universe, allowing us to understand more about how we came to be by smashing particles into one another in what can almost be described as a re-enactment of the ‘Big Bang’.

However, those opposed to the test say there’s every chance that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), also informally known as ‘The Big Bang Machine’, the device at the centre of all this, could effectively bring about a rather unwelcome apocalypse.

A small-yet-vocal minority of pessimists worry that the experiment isn’t completely safe, and that the LHC could potentially spew out the odd micro black hole with the potential to swallow the earth.

But is this likely? [Read more]

Study Indicates Body Modification Trend Related to Parental Affection

Report by Thaddeus Stanley, Army of Epiphenomenon

A new study by the University of Phoenix claims to have discovered an inverse relationship between a father’s love and his daughter’s propensity to engage in body modification. The study, which compared 5000 young women who had modified their appearance with multiple piercings, tattoos, cuttings, and/or breast reductions, with a like number who had no more than a simple pair of earrings, found that as paternal affection levels dropped, the likelihood of body modification increased. Jan Gould, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Phoenix called the findings “a breakthrough for modern pop psychology,” and said, “this should put an end to crappy fathers bitchin’ about their daughters coming home looking like … like … well, whatever they come home looking like.”

[Read more]

The New Yorker’s Tasteless Cover of Barack Obama, Change, and the Racial Divide

The cover of the latest issue of The New Yorker has been the talk of the town for the past couple days now. What was intended to be a satirical comment regarding Republican attacks misrepresenting Obama’s faith, religion and patriotism has unfortunately backfired.

The caricature, drawn by Barry Blitt, portays Obama in traditional Muslim dress and his wife, Michelle, dressed in military combat gear holding a machine gun. The White House hopefuls are standing in the Oval Office, pounding fists while the the American flag burns in the fireplace just below a hanging portrait of Osama Bin Laden.

[Read more]