At times consciously, at times unconsciously, I have been censoring my music consumption. I've been using
last.fm for about a year now and I think I've been too concerned with appearances. At first, I just tried to cut out classical music and podcasts (because I don't think they would really contribute to usage statistics that are meaningful to me - I want to know what people with similar pop music interests are listening to . . . if I want to listen to anything else, I can just ask Kara). But as time passed, I found myself stopping the last.fm plugin when I was listening to music that I thought would "taint" my statistics. I think this admission is probably more embarrassing than the music I listen to, but it needed to be said. So, ironically enough, I'm starting the plugin today with a song off Saves the Day's "Through Being Cool" record. And yes, that "sham" label applies to
me. The truth hurts, sometimes.
Labels: internet, music, sham, technology
This story about prison programs that are clearly (if not explicitly) designed to indoctrinate and convert inmates who - as the headline astutely points out - are a "captive audience" sickens me. If you want to know how Americans
should be reacting to this, just try this simple mental exercise. Read the article and make a few replacements:
- Replace "Christian" with "Muslim."
- Replace "Christianity" with "Islam."
- Replace "Christ" or "Jesus" with "Allah."
Now, tell me how the average American would react to such news. Imagine the outcry against the politicians who are lining up to support the current program if they supported the one in our mental exercise. That reaction (focus on it again) should be exactly the same as the reaction to the actual content of the article. Is it?
Labels: christianity, conservatism, islam, politics, religion, sham
More than three years have passed since we
invaded an Arabic-speaking country, but our own newly established embassy in Iraq only has
thirty-three Arabic speakers - only
six of whom are fluent! Way to go, 'merica. Well, at least our elected representatives have
informed themselves (see
kishkushim). Oh. Wait.
Labels: arabic, iraq, military, sham, war
This video is a pretty funny spin on the "
Love Contract" bit on Chappelle's Show a few years ago. Both were made in 2004, so I'm not sure which came first. Maybe they were independent of each other, though the treatment of having sex "in an uncomfortable place" - like the "
back seat of a Volkswagen" - seems strikingly similar. (via
Boing Boing)
Labels: comedy, media, meme
