Shame Day: Beyonce, Macklemore and the Grammy Backlash

Posted on February 4, 2014 by | 4 comments

Apparently I should really start watching the Grammys, primarily because they are THE place to find shameful behavior, or at least that’s what I’ve been hearing from the variety of subcultures that I belong to and/or gather interesting information/perspectives from. So for today I will be shaming three different aspects of the Grammy Awards show:

Beyonce and Jay-Z’s “Drunk in Love” Performance

I’ve been reading various blogs and articles on Beyonce’s since she released her visual album as a big surprise to fans. In news that was a little less surprising, it was an instant best seller.


All over the internet, however, feminists were having a heyday trying to figure out if they could really consider Beyonce a feminist. Continue reading →

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Posted in celebrity, Christianity, feminism, lgbt, music, race, television

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Drive-By Evangelism

Posted on February 2, 2014 by | 1 comment

A couple nights ago I heard something blaring outside my window. My apartment complex is situated next to a high school football field, so I didn’t think anything of it until the sound started getting clearer. I walked over to my window and looked out to see a truck with a flat trailer hitched up behind it, carrying a sound system, floodlights, a microphone, and a guy singing an (awful) Christian rap/altar-call hybrid.

Again.

Yeah, these guys have been through before. I’m not sure if it’s a monthly thing, or if they go for it whenever they can sneak in (I’m pretty sure the management, slum-lords though they are, haven’t signed off on this).

For the most part they just roll up and down the streets in the complex at a couple miles an hour and shout through the loudspeakers that we have got to accept the Jesus into our hearts as lord and savior and…

Well, that’s about it really. And it’s junk like this which is the subject of today’s post. Continue reading →

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Posted in advertising, bizarreness, Christianity, morality, religion

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Meditations on Listening in the Internet Age

Posted on February 1, 2014 by | Leave a comment

I should probably preface this post by explaining that I am a terrible listener. Sometimes when I am trying to listen to someone I end up talking a whole bunch in order to explain that I am listening, or that I see where the person (who I should be listening to) is coming from. It’s pretty counter-productive. I’m also an extrovert, so when I get nervous I talk more, and sometimes even a lull in conversation can make me nervous. Oh, and one more thing, I’m terrible at taking constructive criticism. That’s probably one of my biggest flaws. I cannot even count the number of fights I’ve had with loved ones because I’m so damn sensitive, not to mention the times I just misunderstand what they are saying because I read too far into it.

Recognize this meme? That’s right, it’s from Hyperbole and a Half. Best ever.

Continue reading →

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Posted in communication, internet, relationships

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Grammarly: An Online Platform Review

Posted on January 31, 2014 by | Leave a comment

I tried Grammarly’s check grammar free of charge because, well, let’s just say that I’ve been skeptical of any sort of program that claims to be able to assist or improve writing. Sure, I write a fair amount as you’ve probably noticed, but I edit quite a bit as well [every post that goes up on this blog, for one, so any mistakes you may find are unfortunately all on me]. Suspicion of any product that may eliminate the line of work I’d like to be in is warranted, I think.

Not only that, but back when I was still working as a copywriter I was asked to try out some software that would be used to “spin” articles, turning old content into fresh, new content that would draw search engine attention to our company. Unfortunately the program [the ironically named The Best Spinner] only served as a sort of glorified thesaurus, providing alternatives to words used, something that any accomplished writer could handle themselves, while rearranging sentences as well. 

So I tried out Grammarly with equal parts skepticism and trepidation- would this be an online platform that would make me, and others editors to boot, obsolete?

grammarlylogo Continue reading →

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Posted in advertising, internet, language, review, writing

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Fame Day: Kshama Sawant

Posted on January 29, 2014 by | 6 comments

I was saving this one for May, which I’ve reserved in advance for leftist issues, but seeing as our honoree for the day has been really active this week, I figured I’d better get the spotlight on her now. Who is it?

Kshama Sawant- the recently elected Socialist now sitting on Seattle’s City Council.

I celebrated her victory in private when she won back in November, but when she popped up again in my newsfeed, I knew I had to run her here. What caught my eye?

“Seattle’s Socialist councilwoman to accept less than half of $117K salary”

Continue reading →

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Posted in Economy, environmentalism, Fame Day, money, politics

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Culture War Correspondence: How We Would Do TV

Posted on January 29, 2014 by | 2 comments


EVAN: The idiot box, the boob tube, the . . . television receiver . . . TV’s a pretty important part of our culture, and even as I write this the flatscreen is on, showing the Rockets pretty soundly beating the Spurs-

There are also certain ways that things are done, which is apparent as anything else given the upcoming Super Bowl and the so-called “Ad Blitz”. What we’re here to do is explain how we’d do things, were we the ones running the show.

GORDON: Since you brought up commercials, that’s probably a good place to start.

How about declaring a law that the same commercial cannot be shown twice in the same hour? Continue reading →

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Posted in advertisement, advertising, Culture War Correspondence, television

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