- Request denied, Pacman Jones. In attempting to shake the stigma of being who he is as he continues his step-by-step reinstatement to the National Football League, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Pacman Jones is now asking that he be referred to as Adam Jones, his given name. “I’m not saying my teammates won't call me ‘Pacman’ on the field. But for the most part, I want to be Adam or Mr. Jones.” Oh, that’s rich. You want us to show you the respect to call you Adam or Mr. Jones, yet you don’t show one freaking bit of respect for anyone? Mr. Jones? You could play for another 20 years, make the Pro Bowl every year, win five Super Bowl MVP awards and be the undisputed best player in the sport and you still would not be able to earn enough respect that I’ll call you Mr. Jones. The only way you’re going to be called Mr. Jones is when a judge says, “Mr. Jones, how do you plead to these charges?” You can sign autographs as Adam and you can tell everyone who will listen about wanting to make this change. I even appreciate your reasoning for it, that there is “really just a lot of negativity behind it (the Pacman name).” Still, it’s wishful thinking on your part and I have rejected your appeal. You remain Pacman until further notice….
- Democracy has failed and oppression has prevailed. Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has apparently retained his spot as leader of the African nation after his campaign of terror, harassment and killing against opponent Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change party caused Tsvangirai to withdraw from the race Sunday. “The courageous people of Zimbabwe, of this country, and the people of the MDC have done everything humanly and democratically possible to deliver a new Zimbabwe and a new government,” Tsvangirai said in announcing his decision. “We in the MDC have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process.” Rightly so, Tsvangirai and his supporters feel that asking Zimbabweans to come out and vote for them in Friday’s runoff election would be putting their lives at risk. Does anyone doubt that Bob Mugabe would go as far as to stick one of his soldiers in the voting booth with a machine gun, ready to blow the head off of anyone who voted for Tsvangirai? Still, this is an incredibly sad day and it pisses me off to no end. That someone can so blatantly cheat, oppress, abuse and even kill and still walk to streets smiling, shaking hands and acting like he’s not doing what he’s doing….infuriating. That he can do it as the world watches and as the majority of his people want a change (and said so in the last election) makes it even worse. You suck, Bob Mugabe, you oppressive piece of crap….
- What the $#^$#%#$!! @ is &#%%^$%^@$ going on here? The Australian Senate is once again under pressure from critics to ban certain profanities on TV and the legislature is again refusing to censor. The latest inquiry came as a result of foul-mouthed, ill-tempered chef/reality TV host Gordon Ramsay, whose series Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares features a nonstop deluge of swear words from its host. The show is a top-rated program in Australia, where the highly rated Nine Network airs it regularly. For his part, Ramsay is telling those offended by his rampant profanity to f**k off. “Turn over [the TV channel]. Isn't it easier?” he said in an interview. Among the evidence presented during the hearings was an episode where Ramsay used one of his favorite profanities 80 times during a 40-minute episode. Personally I’ve never watched the show for more than 15 seconds because I don’t care about 99.9 percent of reality shows, especially ones where arrogant, blowhard hosts with a perpetual bad attitude insult and berate people. So keep spewing your curse words with impunity, G., Australia welcomes your act.
- Whoa there, partners! For those music critics hailing the new Coldplay album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends as a ginormous leap forward in the group’s evolution and something that could vault it into the musical elite the way The Unforgettable Fire thrust U2 into the stratosphere, you need to check yourselves. This is a good album to be sure and a step forward for that pretentious twit Chris Martin and his band mates, but it’s more of an average step forward in the evolution of a good (not great) band than it is a musical masterpiece. Coldplay may have gone so far as to bring in Brian Eno, the man who produced The Unforgettable Fire for Bono and the boys, but that didn’t get them as good of an album. One wise choice Coldplay did make was cutting down on the whiny, mellow piano ballads that Martin so loves to croon on. Songs like Cemeteries of London showcase a different vibe to be sure, and Lovers in Japan features a driving beat from drummer William Champion that add some punch to the music. The first single, Viva La Vida, has been out on radio for a while and was performed at the MTV Movie Awards. It is a musical hodgepodge of keyboards, percussion and textured sounds, but it still reeks of Martin’s signature prima donna attitude. He does do everyone a favor by abandoning his familiar falsetto for most of the album, which is a nice touch to be sure. Still, it’s nothing more than a good, solid album and certainly not enough to elevate Coldplay into the upper echelon of the rock world.
- You haven’t heard as much about it of late, but rest assured that in Nepal and China, people are still being beaten, harassed and jailed for speaking out against China and its abominable human rights record in Tibet. As the Olympics approach and millions of athletes and fans prepare to descend on a city whose air is so bad that running the 100 meters might be hazardous to your health, people are still being imprisoned just for speaking out against one of the world’s most egregious violators of human rights. Nepalese authorities have jailed three Tibetan activists for three months for leading protests against China’s crackdown in Tibet. Additionally, hundreds more Tibetan exiles were detained for taking part in a major protest in front of the Chinese Embassy’s visa office over the weekend. Nice work on that one, Tibetan exiles. A big salute to all of you for taking it to the streets, scuffling with the cops and getting yourselves detained in the process. Thanks for reminding us that several months may have passed but nothing has changed when it comes to oppression and abuse of authority in your corner of the world.
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