Friday, February 23, 2007

 

CNN scapegoating

Note I sent to CNN regarding their Paula Zahn special titled "Hip-Hop: Art or Poison?"
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/21/pzn.01.html

The title of the segment made me angry inside, but actually watching it made me super irritated.

"Why is hip-hop being singled out for violent images and degradation of women? Why don't we ask the same questions of rock? Why isn't death-metal being targeted as being violent? What about degrading images of women in Playboy, Victoria's Secret, or CNN's very own Sports Illustrated magazine? In fact, if you look through a magazine like Vogue, most of the high-fashion ads show women in very passive, sexual positions. Yet, I can't imagine seeing Isaack Mizrahi or Donna Karen being asked these same questions. If there is one thing to be learned from this its that the degradation of women and violence somehow sells in this country. Its sad and disturbing. There is no reason to single out a single art form for this. As a respected news organization, I feel that CNN should move beyond this type of racially-biased scapegoating. "

Sunday, February 04, 2007

 

My Hurcrux Theory (that mugglenet won't have...)

When Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort found nothing of value when he returned to Hogwarts to make his request [page 506], he was wrong. Voldemort indeed found, or had something very useful and hid it in within the halls of Hogwarts itself. Harry actually comes very close to finding it in “Sectumsempre,” chapter of book 6. The sixth and last Horcrux is in the version of the Room of Requirements that appears when one asks “I need a place to hide a book..” [page 525, book 6].

When Harry uses the Sectumsempre curse on Malfoy, Snape orders him to fetch his schoolbag. Harry, not wanting to return the Prince’s potion’s, gets Ron’s book instead. Then, he runs to the Room of Requirements to hide the Prince’s book. It is there that he comes across several old and decrepit objects including a bloody axe and a cabinet with an animal skeleton [page 526, book 6]. However, Rowling pauses on one conspicuous artifact, the bust of an “old ugly wizard,” on top of which he sees a tiara [page 527, book 6]. A wizard would obviously not sport a tiara, so it must simply be placed on top of the bust. The tiara, in fact belongs to Ruina Ravenclaw and has to be the missing Horcrux. Rowling’s emphasis on this “Unknowable Room” in book 6 and on Voldemort’s attachment to the castle further make the point that this is indeed the Horcrux.


 

Reasons why I've decided to be a colts fan

Now I'm not an NFL fan. I'm a Wolverine, I hate the Buckeyes and so forth. But I'll make an exception just this ones.
1. Peyton Manning > Rex Grossman:
I absolutely hate Rex Grossman. I watched him in the '03 outback bowl and seriously John Navarre looked better than him. He makes very poor quarterbacking decisions. The fact that he's from hated Florida only makes him that much worse.
Peyton Manning on the other hand, how can you not love him with those goofy commercials, that gee-whiz type of accent and that killer arm? I've also always held a special place for the Volunteers in my heart. I lived in Knoxville while my dad when there until I was 3 or 4 so some of my faintest first memoris are from there.

2. Marlon Jackson:
Best saftey I've seen so far at Michigan. I liked how the conference championship ended with some Wolverine on Wolverine action, Jackson intercepty Brady!

3. Offense vs Defense:
Yeah I know defense is supposed to win games, but this time they're going to have to play both defense and offense with how badly the Bears offense has been looking. Meanwhile the Colts defense is not as bad as people say they are. We'll see the colts beating the bears offense like a dirty rug.

4. Tony Dungee:
I think he's a really good coach whose time has come. He finally got over the Patriots hurdle. I also feel pretty bad about his son and that whole tragedy.

5. Adam Viniteri:
Clutch.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

 

Tall, dark and leafy...

I never cease to be amused by the absurdity of my native culture. I guess nothing beats perpetual paganism in terms of the sheer ridiculousness and variety of "religious rituals". Apparently, Aishwarya Rai (a famous Bollywood actress) married a peepal tree in Varanasi, a banana tree in Bangalore and a god's idol in Ayodhya. What causes a modern, intelligent woman to marry not one but two trees?! Apparently it is being a "manglik" or having Mars in certain places on your astrological chart. When I sought out any type of rational explanation, I saw this in Wikipedia:

"Mangal Dosha
is an astrological condition that occurs if Mars is in the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, or 12th house of the Vedic astrology lunar chart. A person born in the presence of this condition is termed a manglik. This condition is believed by some to be devastating for marriage, causing discomfort and tension in relationship, leading to seperation and divorce, and in some cases, it is believed to cause untimely death of one spouse. This is attributed to the "fiery" nature of this planet. "

Of course, when two manglik's marry they cancel each other's bad effects out, much like two negative numbers being multiplied creating a positive condition.

"If two mangliks marry, the negative effects are believed to cancel each other out. The term manglik is a search criteria on some Indian and UAE dating and matrimonial websites."

It also goes on to tell you the recommended remedy for such a horrible condition :).

"There is also a belief that the negative consequences for a single-manglik marriage can be resolved if the manglik first performs a ceremony called a kumbh vivah, in which the manglik "marries" a banana tree, a peepal tree, or an icon of Vishnu.[1]"

I guess just to be on the safe-side Ash decided to do all three!
Seriously, you've gotta give them points for creativity.

Friday, February 02, 2007

 

the best that poetry has to offer

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/decss-haiku.txt

 

asian travels

1) Slinkies (only metallic) - What else makes that satisfying clinking sound as it elegently cascades down the stairs? What else can leave you mesmerised in a vicariously kinetic state filled with optical illusions? In short, they are perfect.

2) Samurai swords (only the long ones) - What action is bolder then someone drawing out a samurai sword, the blinding light reflected in their eyes? And if you're me, you can balance it on your head, on the soft flat part right in the middle, as you practice your next bellydance.

3) Jasmine tea - What else has that subtle aroma and delicate flavor that even sugar ruin and milk can devastate?

4) Tiger balm - What else embodies so perfectly the good sort of pain that comes with healing. What else teeters between cold and the hot teetering, averaging in, but not allowing comfort.

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