- If you enjoy the general concept of Facebook but don’t find it nearly terrifying enough for your tastes, a suitable alternative has finally be devised courtesy of shock rappers Insane Clown Posse. ICP, which is well-known for its annual fan gathering named after its rabid fans, the Juggalos, has launched its own version of the popular social networking site, Juggalobook.com. Fans can register for the site and interact using many of the same features that Facebook features. Its creation should also serve as a boon of information for the FBI, which revealed last year that is has officially classified the Juggalos as a criminal game. The bureau’s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment Report [NGTAR] labeled Juggalos as a "concern to law enforcement" after becoming alarmed by their "general destructive and violent nature.” The report states: "Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic and often involve a simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism. However, open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity, such as felony assaults, thefts, robberies, and drug sales." Now, the FBI can simply sign up for Juggalobook.com, keep close tabs on these would-be criminals and also support the music of ICP members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Sure, most of the conversation will be the same sort of pointless bullsh*t that appears on the average Facebook page each day (which a slightly angrier and more disturbed slant), but every now and then perhaps a message not about the Gathering of the Juggalos will pop up and agents will be able to stop a potential crime before it happens…………….
- Never be afraid to stand alone. No none needs to tell civic leaders in Cyrenaica, home to most of Libya's oil, that message. These forward thinkers have created a council to administer the eastern region, flying directly in the face of the national government. The move, voted on by about 3,000 delegates at a congress on Tuesday in the eastern city of Benghazi, will undoubtedly spark a confrontation with the country’s interim leadership in Tripoli. Delegates installed Ahmed al-Senussi, a relative of Libya's former king and a political prisoner under ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi, as head of the new council. The move was not expected, as a groundswell of unhappiness in the east of Libya over perceived neglect and marginalization by the rulers in the capital made it virtually inevitable. A distance of more than 620 miles might as well by 620,000 miles as far as Cyrenaica are concerned. Residents want greater autonomy, even if that worries international oil companies operating in Libya because it raises the prospect of them having to re-negotiate their contracts with a new entity. Benghazi is fast becoming the cradle of dissidence in Libya. The city was the flashpoint for the uprising last year which ousted Gaddafi and Tuesday’s decision continued that trend even if it does not carry legal force. No one is quite sure whether the new provincial council would exist within the National Transitional Council (NTC)'s institutions, or be a rival to it, but it really doesn’t matter. "I've been in contact with people in Tripoli and I told them 'come here and negotiate'... It should be through negotiation," delegation organizer Mohammed Buisier proclaimed. "We are not going to give anyone a blank check." Umm…..ok? Blank check or not, stepping up to demand representation and autonomy is always a solid play. Becoming the latest to challenge the NTC may seem unoriginal, but doing what’s right doesn’t always have to be fresh and original. An eight-page declaration met with immediate opposition from leaders in Tripoli is a good start…………
- How many people know at least one paranoid kook who refuses to drink soda not because they’re worried about losing weight and staying thin, but because they’re paranoid that aspartame or some other ingredient in a Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew or Coke is going to give them cancer or in some way kill them before their time? Those kooks just might be correct. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the caramel coloring used in certain sodas contains a chemical linked to several types of cancer. "There are 310 million Americans and we're saying that about 15-thousand of us will develop cancer as a result of the caramel coloring," said Michael Jacobson, CSPI's executive director. In light of its findings, the CSPI is asking that caramel coloring no longer be used in soda so as to not jeopardize consumers’ health simply to give their Pepsi or Diet Coke its familiar brown hue. That argument wasn’t well-received by the good folks with the American Beverage Association, which quickly retaliated by issuing a statement questioning the science of the studies cited by the CSPI. This is nothing more than CSPI scare tactics, and their claims are outrageous. CSPI fraudulently claims to be operating in the interest of the public's health when it is clear its only motivation is to scare the American people," the statement read. What the statement fails to explain is why the CSPI or any other so-called consumer rights advocacy group or organization would want to scare the American people. Scaring, like any other activity in this capitalist wonderland we call the United States, is something no one pursues unless they can profit from it. That begs the ever-pertinent question of just what the CSPI’s real angle is…………
- Not cool, Classic Cinema chain of the greater Chicago area, not cool. Starting Saturday, all Classic Cinema theaters will no longer allow children under age six into R-rated movies. That’s right, they’re ripping young children’s right to see “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The decision includes theatres in 13 locations and 100 screens and theater management is perpetuating the lie that banning kids barely old enough to attend school from seeing R-rated films is something most people support. “Our reaction from the public has been about 98 percent positive,” said Classic Cinemas’ marketing manager Mark Mazrimas. Classic Cinemas announced the new policy in an email sent to all subscribers of their website and email list. In the email, theater executives explained that their new rule was not because young children were being exposed to graphic violence, crude language or sexually explicit material, but because they were annoying other moviegoers. Mazrimas said Classic Cinemas wants to give movie-goers a distraction-free environment and young children tend to grow bored and restless during movies and tend to act out. In a children’s movie showing, parents and grandparents show up expecting a mad house, but those going to see a “Saw” movie or “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” aren’t expecting some snot-nosed 5-year-old running up and down the aisles during a key scene, or so the logic behind this decision goes. Additionally, the theater plans to jam parents further by forcing children ages six to eleven to pay full price, adult fares. Yes, a family-owned, independent cinema chain can make these sorts of decisions and it’s only the good people of Chicago, owners Grove, Oak Park, Elmhurst, Naperville, St. Charles, Kankakee, North Riverside, Woodstock, Carpentersville, Elk Grove Village, Freeport and Fox Lake who are affected, but don’t think for one second this isn't a bigger issue. First they rip your child’s right to view R-rated movies when accompanied by a parent or guardian and next thing you know, they’re looking to take away something even more vital to your quality of life…………
- Life is very good for golfer Rory McIlroy right now. Fresh off a win in the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Fla. over the weekend that vaulted him to the No. 1 ranking in the world, McIlroy is 22 years old, has a major championship under his belt and held off a hard-charging Tiger Woods for the victory. And oh yeah, he also happens to be dating Caroline Wozniacki, a recent No. 1 in women’s tennis who is still ranked No. 4 in the world in her sport. Not only is he dating a hot, successful women’s tennis player, but McIlroy is also hanging out with his hot, successful women’s tennis player girlfriend’s hot, successful women’s tennis player friends at famous sports venues. One day after becoming No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career, McIlroy attended the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden, where his girlfriend was playing. Not only did he attend the event, McIlroy jumped on the court and was able to play a point with Wozniacki in an exhibition match against the über-hot Maria Sharapova. With Wozniacki a game away from losing 6-3, 6-4 to Sharapova, she invited her boyfriend on the court to play a point and see if a 2-on-1 matchup could turn the match in her favor. "He wasn't too pleased with me," Wozniacki said later. Sounds dubious, to be honest. What guy doesn’t enjoy being in the middle of a battle between two gorgeous women, even if he’s going to be slightly embarrassed because he’s playing a sport he’s not very good at. Even in jeans and a sweater, McIlroy had to be happy to be there. He even got a brief moment of glory when he hit a one-handed backhand and Sharapova hit his lob wide to give a point to Wozniacki. "I've won a few off Caroline," McIlroy said when asked about winning the point. Right about now, he’s winning in a lot of ways………
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