Shame Day: The Abortion Debate

Posted on June 25, 2013 by | 12 comments

I’ve seen both sides of this debate.

I grew up in a devotedly pro-life home. I was taught pro-life apologetics and arguments (largely from books by Peter Kreeft [go read The Unaborted Socrates]). In spite of that, my study of the development of life and my debates with pro-choicers led me eventually to cross the line. I concluded that if personhood ends with the cessation of brain activity, surely it must begin with it as well.

All that’s to say I’ve had first hand experience with both sides of the highly contentious issue.

But I’m not here to talk about abortion. I’m hear to shine the spotlight on the supreme nitwits who scream the loudest from both sides of the argument. Let’s break it down here. Continue reading →

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Posted in America, morality, politics, religion, sex, Shame Day

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World War Z Doesn’t Take Place In A World I Live In

Posted on June 24, 2013 by | 3 comments

Newer readers may not know this, but this is actually the third post about World War Z on this blog. I first wrote about the way the film was to deviate from the book back in 2011, while former CWR writer [who I dearly miss] Elisa briefly explored their prevalence in pop culture the year after.

So two days ago I saw the movie, and I’m not going to write the logical continuation of my first post, complaining about how the movie could have been “so much better if only. . .”

What I’m going to write about how I wasn’t in the movie.

I drew this over two years ago for an all-comics weekly publication I used to run.

And no, I don’t mean why wasn’t there a zombified version of me in the movie, because seriously if you guys didn’t know I am deathly terrified of any sort of biting reanimated corpse. What I mean is why, when I watched this movie, weren’t there any dang Asians.

Spoilers follow. Kind mild, kinda not. Continue reading →

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Posted in Asia, film, literature, race, writing, zombies

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What Happened to Reading?

Posted on June 24, 2013 by | 4 comments

Now I know that there’s a certain degree of irony attached to this post. Just now you read my question on why people don’t read anymore. I’m not really talking about reading in the the sense of skimming the occasional article online, though. Before anyone tries to point it out- yeah, I’m aware that the medium for communication has shifted a lot since video is now accessible to pretty much everyone.

I’m talking about books, people. When did we stop reading books?

I would go bankrupt buying books with gifs for illustrations…

I can’t count how many times I’ve been reading a book in public and people act as if I’ve started cleaning a black-powder musket.

Continue reading →

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Posted in America, art, literature, media, writing, Youth

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It’s Harder To Give Than To [insert any other verb]

Posted on June 22, 2013 by | 5 comments

Ugh, Dane Cook . . . 

So earlier this week Gordon showed me this video:


How much I actually enjoy Dane Cook [I typically do not]  aside, he really hits on something with this bit. People do get sad when they see these commercials, so they either change the channel as quickly as they can or they watch through the whole thing because “it’s the least they can do” before trying to bury the bad feelings in whatever regularly scheduled programming was taking a commercial break.

He makes the point that people don’t give because they’re being asked too nicely, which probably has some validity to it. I think two main points that people will give in their defence are: 1) I can’t afford it, and 2) it’s too much of a hassle, it’s too much effort. Continue reading →

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Posted in advertisement, advertising, Economy, money, morality, television

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Clearing My Head of Man of Steel, A Short Post

Posted on June 21, 2013 by | 5 comments

Here’s the deal, folks. My grandfather has been ill since Sunday, and in the hospital since Tuesday. I’m getting up very early tomorrow to spend an hour with him before work, and probably should  have been in bed over an hour ago.

Not only that, but I saw Man of Steel on Tuesday.

Let me just say that there were bound to be some people who took issue with the reimagining of the character, and still others who would stand by its merits as a film, but I never foresaw this. The amount of divisiveness this movie has created is unbelievable, and the opinions I’ve read have been at such far extremes and delivered with such furor. People have debating Man of Steel like it’s the church’s stance on predestination.

The thing is, I am one of those people. Continue reading →

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Posted in comics, film, internet, review, writing

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Fame Day: 5 Second Films

Posted on June 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

While this week we’re trying to take a break from politics here at Culture War Reporters (last week was dominated by the subject), I really wouldn’t be doing my due dilligence if I didn’t give a shout out the protestors currently flooding the streets of Rio De Janeiro, down in Brazil. The Brazilian government has proposed tripling the cost of public transportation, and while that might sound to many like a pretty paltry thing, to the poor and urban working class of Brazil who rely on public transit, that kind of increase is going to be devastating. Brazilian protestors- keep up the good work.

Now on to the focus of today’s Fame Day- internet sketch group 5 Second Films.

gj5sf Continue reading →

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Posted in art, Fame Day, film, internet, media, money, television, writing

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