Take your medicine.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

No one should go through life without having to weather an Irishman's rant. It's good for your soul. So I present to you the President of Ireland tongue-lashing a radio-jock about America, the Tea Party, health-care, and foreign policy. The accent makes it better.

Top O Tha Marnin' To Ya.

Have you met... Googoosha?

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

I was clicking around on Amazon recently when, for some reason, I decided to click on a page for a singer I've never heard before: Googoosha. I like listening to new music, even the 30-second samples on Amazon, to get a sense of what's out there. What really struck me, though, was the Amazon customer reviews for this album. Here's one:

"With a voice almost as ugly as her corrupt, narcissistic and avaricious soul, the release of this painfully bad CD means that Googoosha (Gulnora Kaminova) is set to become the biggest mass-torturer since...well, her father, the dictator (sorry - totally and utterly democratically elected President) of Uzbekistan.

"Support the world's leading mass-murdering despot - buy this record today!

"Or don't, if you've got an ounce of humanity left in you."

Of course, that review wasn't labelled as being a "verified purchase," so I don't know if he actually listened to the music.

But that wasn't the only album review like it. There was one that said that ( more under the cut )

mother of god, what is WRONG with people??

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

I consider this a wake up call to those who still worship the Cult of Personality.

From our political leaders, to our so-called 'celeb's', too much emphasis is put upon the pomp, and not enough on the circumstance; this circus must cease if we are to survive and thrive.

The problem is obvious; however those still watching and talking about the latest "Dis and Dat" reality show, or if Snookie is going to be a judge at AI, or if Anderson Cooper or Barney Frank craves teh cock.

It was not curiosity that motivated the people in the video to assemble. It was to 'be near someone that seemed important' which made them feel important as well (hence the photo ops). This also explains why we are so harsh when our glam's fuck up; we get to feel superior to our perceived superiors.

Listen up, humans. You are important. Each of us exists for a reason, and it NOT to chase 'celeb's'.

I think it's time for a little wake up call: it's 4:20 and time for Howard and the god damn news. Vote for the issues, not for the issuer.

Of some community interest.

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

Moderators forgive me if this isn't an appropriate post. Feel free to remove.

I saw something advertised today that I think will be of interest to many readers of this community. It is a free smartphone application available from Google Play (or, i-Tunes I assume.) Once installed, if you hear a political add playing, say, on the Radio or T.V., you activate the app. It listens and creates a digital signature of the add, and checks it against the database of adds which it maintains. If it finds a match, it lets you know what organizations, PACs, or persons are behind the add.

Knowing who paid for what can provide critical context in assessing such adds.

It is called Add Hawk, and its made available by the Sunlight Foundation, which seems, after some limited internet research, to be a valid non-partisan organization committed to political transparency.

Their main page:

http://sunlightfoundation.com/

You can download the app there, or directly to your smartphone by searching for "Ad Hawk"

I have just downloaded it myself, and will be testing it later today.

Friday's stupidest movies ever!

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

There are movies that make your jaw drop. And then, there are those that make you laugh shitless. Oops! Did I say shitless? What can be scarier (and crappier) than Shark Attack? I know, I know, pick me! MEGA SHARK!

Or why not... wait for it... How To Kill A Mega Piranha!!

So which are the most stupid movies you have ever watched? You know, the ones that have made your brain bleed, those that have made you want to bleach your eyes and cut your own throat, and headdesk and facepalm just like this?

( My own list goes like this (in no particular order) )

South Korea Vs Abortion! Fight!

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

http://news.yahoo.com/korea-court-upholds-abortion-punishment-102939047.html

South Korea's top court Thursday struck down a challenge calling for an end to tough legal punishments for midwives and others administering illegal abortions.

Abortion is outlawed in South Korea, except in cases where the procedure takes place before the 24th week of pregnancy and the mother's health is in danger, the foetus is malformed or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

A midwife filed a petition against a clause of the law stipulating a maximum two-year jail term for doctors, midwives, traditional medicine doctors, or pharmacists who perform an illegal abortion.

She challenged the law's constitutionality after going on trial for helping a woman terminate her pregnancy in 2010.

The constitutional court, however, dismissed the petition saying lighter punishment would only make abortion more rampant.

Official data showed that more than 340,000 abortions were conducted in 2005, 95 percent of them illegally. No later figures were available.

Abortion has for decades been widely tolerated by successive governments trying to control birth in a crowded society.


Interestingly, some fellow expats and I were discussing abortion in Korea just the other week. During the talk I was really surprised at just how easy getting an abortion was despite it being illegal. Finding someone who will do the procedure isn't difficult and getting it all set up is very quick according to one girl who was willing to tell her tale.

Frankly I'm bothered that abortion can be done with less fuss in a place where it's illegal than in the US. And keep in mind that Korea is the second most Christian nation in Asia. Street prechers and other soapbox types aren't uncommon on the subway or in certain parts of town. But hoesntly, if population control is such an issue then IMO Korea just needs to bite the bullet and make it legal. Doing otherwise makes a nation obsessed with being "modern" seem painfully backwards.

(no subject)

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

Johnson shot only his intended victim. All of the bystanders were hit or grazed by police bullets.

Now I get that these NYPD are a little zealous given that 9/11 happened on their turf. I completely understand the anniversary is coming up in mere weeks causing tensions to be on high alert. So the fact that cops shot at a bystander is somewhat excusable. But that ALL bystanders were shot at by police protecting and serving is inexcusable.

There is something seriously wrong in the psychology of that particular NYPD precinct. Maybe the training there sucks. Maybe it's the ghosts that still haunt downtown Manhattan. Maybe it's that most downtown cops are on tourist duty; answering silly questions and locating lost children and luggage.

Jeffery Johnson committed a criminal act shooting his former manager. And he inadvertently caused a mass panic. But this is not right. Not right at all. Cops are supposed to quell fears and calm crowds. They shouldn't shoot at them all willy-nilly.