27 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(12/14/09 1:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a sophomore with only one semester of experience in the newsroom at the Indiana Daily Student, I thought it would be interesting to look back over these past few months and find out what I have learned through my online comments so I can apply them to my future.I have learned that my writing has come across as that of a “friggin’ moron.” Now, it is important to keep myself in check with the world and not just my writer’s dreams, and for that reason I am happy to be educated about the quality of my writing.I have learned that I am a “Leftist-facism apologist.” By such a correlation I am able to see myself in the same light as Barack Hussein Obama, which is inspiring to me as a person even more than as a writer. I have learned that “Janeane Garofalo may not have legs as nice as Ann Coulter, but I bet she gives better hugs.” The next time I am faced with a decision of whom to spend the night with, I will choose Janeane. Besides, Anne scares me.I have learned that, sometimes, “it’s not good analysis, and if it’s an attempt at humor it’s not funny.” Hopefully this article does not fall into the same category. I have learned that I have the potential to concoct a “fascist conspiracy,” which is “absurdity on stilts.” This is a true testament to my “leftist-facism apologist” abilities, and I am grateful to be recognized for it.I have learned that I am officially a member of “the smug intelligentsia of Bloomington academia.” Such a title is worth more than a diploma; it is a code to live by, and I swear to it for life.
(12/02/09 8:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There is a push in the U.S. for our government to begin profiling Muslims. What I wonder is: Why stop there? The other two major monotheistic religions have their own histories of violence. Open the Tanakh, read about the Crusades, watch news from the Middle East or listen to the last moments of the residents of Jonestown. This list is never-ending.We should group members of these three religions together and profile them because they have members who have flown off the handle; they have a history. Not every killer belonged to a religious organization at some point, but I cannot think of one who did not. Can you?So, now that we have established an unreasonable commonality, we should build on it.Besides, any real American should be willing to be profiled for the security of his or her fellow Americans. It does not matter if they have a history of connections with illegal groups or not, members of the “Big Three” should identify themselves as such, so that the rest of America can make them live in separate but equal housing and attend “Big Three” schools. These segregated Americans should wear armbands. Choices would be a star of David, a cross or a crescent moon. Each one, of course, being a different color depending on the amount of activity the religious member partakes in. This identification would be helpful to both the individual wearing this and those around him. The one wearing the band would feel pride in his or her religion and could look for comrades. Others could quickly move away or cast suspicious looks as they walk by. These people do have a history.Speaking of their history, we know how the “Big Three” have acted in the past – we should put their information up on the Internet so we know where to let our kids trick-or-treat and how far from their places of work we should have jobs. It might also be useful to read all of their e-mails as well; this would be helpful in understanding just how large and potentially out-of-control their potluck suppers could become.Of course, this idea is ludicrous; it looks as though it could be a spam e-mail from a crazy family member. That is, until you look again. Look again and see the real fear that religious profiling can create. Profiling should only exist for the greater sake of the community and should target individuals who pose a real threat; looking for danger because of religious affiliation is asinine.Look again and see a real need for separation between church and state. It is a need that is fundamental in our melting pot of people and their beliefs. This separation severs the fearmongerers from those wise enough to learn from history.
(11/02/09 1:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Halloween is officially over and the holiday season is officially here. This season of giving may be one of the best opportunities you will ever have to give back to your family, friends and community as national hardship is upon us. While the nation looks for answers to a multitude of problems, you have a chance to plan out your gifts this holiday season, and perhaps in doing so realize a little something about yourself. Potential gift: On your way down the street, you hear the piercing ding of the Salvation Army’s silver bells. Your hand digs into your pocket for change and a few loose bucks – not because you are trained to respond this way, but because you want to help people in need, no matter how they arrived in their terrible situation. Just giving is enough. You know that the Salvation Army is a credible organization that does not discriminate in sharing their donations. Potential realization: By giving money to a group who will use it for the greater good, without discrimination, you are creating a level playing field for those less fortunate than you. Giving the gift of opportunity to those in need could mean a better life for the poor in a wealthy nation. You believe in equal access to resources. Potential gift: You discover that a family friend has lost his or her job. With the holidays are approaching and the threat of their heat being shut off, you decide to help by taking up a collection of foodstuffs and whatever resources people can spare. This is a small but powerful gift for a family who is less fortunate, a small gift that you hope would be returned to you in the case of your own hardships.Potential realization: It would be a powerful statement of solidarity if that company had taken a few hits on the whole, instead of laying off its workers during the holiday season. You would have done it because you understand the power of the dollar to keep a family alive. If only you and your community owned that company, there would not have been the wasteful spending that brought you to collecting cans for a needy family. You believe in public ownership of production.Potential gift: You decide to live in the moment this holiday season, cherishing each second for all that it is worth and then some. Life is short, and you are living in the now.Potential realization: You see your life day-to-day rather than on a continuum. You ascribe to liberation theology.Final realization: You are a modern socialist. There it is, simple, concise and powerful. Go back and re-read; there is no tomfoolery here. Equal access, public ownership, liberation theology.Not so scary now, is it?
(10/27/09 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For a city with the eighth-largest per-capita gay population in the nation, GLBT culture seems to be reduced to a week-long film festival, wild dance party and the warm-fuzzy welcoming feeling just about anyone in Bloomington can find. Where, then, does our claim to such a sizeable gay population come from?It is hardly a secret that IU and the Bloomington area are known for their accepting values, progressive thinking and colorful community. While these are all positive traits of this area and may contribute to safely bringing a gay population to Bloomington, there is a disconnect between this group and the culture they could offer to Bloomington as a whole.IU has the community, ability and creativity to create a rich and vibrant GLBT culture; it is about time that we empower and express this opportunity.It all begins with education.Eric Anthony Grollman, a Ph.D. student who currently teaches a course on sexual diversity and blogs for Kinsey Confidential, noted that when it came to the next step for GLBT rights, “Bloomington has a way to go.” He went on to say that this next major step will come when the GLBT community is “seen as people more than a sexuality.” Common misconceptions about sexuality that may not plague other groups on campus come from a lack of education and misuse of terms such as “gay,” which have become common and yet remain hurtful when used incorrectly.Dr. Catherine M. Sherwood-Laughlin, MPH Assistant Department Chair of the Department of Applied Health Science, said that on our journey toward respect and understanding, “We need to learn about people who are not like us, ask ourselves why we feel uncomfortable, why we feel hate. ... We just need to expand our horizons and learn.”This would open the door for individuals scared of their own identity. It creates a space of hope and compassion for those who might not receive it in other places.We need to offer more than words and the idea of IU being an open collection of people – we need to show it. We need our actions, through a unified connection with the GLBT community, to unite in more than just rights and politics.When this campus can connect in the search for a living GLBT culture, then we will see people as people and be able to truly expand our horizons.The GLBT Student Support Services Office has begun to see GLBT culture as more than one that excludes heterosexuals; they have “helped to create a climate of greater understanding,” coordinator Doug Bauder said. “One goal of this office is to see oppression from a larger perspective and say, ‘We are with you.’” This type of connectedness creates the opportunity for anyone to bring their whole self to this campus and hold nothing back. Through the connection of complete, open persons, we as a whole have the opportunity to stand strong with our GLBT friends and colleagues in the quest to understand their own cultural heritage.This heritage is open and malleable for anyone ready to explore it. Aside from those listed on gaybarmaps.com, the places offering opportunities for the GLBT population to share experiences and feel comfortable looking for dates are relatively few. “We are invisible in our own culture,” said Grollman. And how right he is. A culture of open acceptance does not allow anyone to be invisible; a population as full of vitality and life as the GLBT community should not allow this invisibility.“We show our pride so we can give hope to all those who still have to be silent in their closets,” said Shaily Hakimian, a freshman volunteer at the GLBT Student Support Services Office. In its quest for culture and understanding, the GLBT population has to begin by breaking down its own closet doors and offering themselves wholly and with pride to the IU community.While this may be one of the hardest moments of many lives, it will be one of the most fulfilling and eye-opening. We are surrounded by those willing and ready to help through this time of discovery and empowerment.Once a real and visible gay culture is formed, with each and every member of our community as part of it, whether you be a straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, questioning or any combination of these, this culture will inspire and empower you and so many others to understand and accept your true self.This culture will be one of ever-flowing creativity and expression of humanity no matter its social restrictions or religious barriers. It will add depth and quality of life for every member who supports it. Anyone can relate and contribute to this GLBT culture; it is one of art, film, theater, music, dance, fashion, conversation, food and so much more.It’s time for IU to unite in sharing more than a deep connection with diversity. It’s time to show it with a community struggling to find its place. It’s time to celebrate Amy Ray, Nathan Lane, Renee Richards and Alan Cumming, not just because they help to create GLBT culture, but because they are talented individuals who are proud to express who they truly are. It’s time for this new community to build up from its roots in a way that is unique to IU and all of its members. It’s time to see this community enjoying each other and walking with pride. It’s time for a newly educated and compassionate campus to rally with our GLBT community and see that there are many parts to it. It’s time for IU to come out, create and celebrate its truly vibrant GLBT culture.
(10/19/09 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Glenn Beck assassinated JFK from the grassy knoll.**Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have committed this crime; however, the following notes weave a web of undeniable possibility.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have been born nearly a year after this event.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have a legitimate birth certificate to prove this date of birth. There is no way of knowing without a response from Glenn Beck.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have responded with hostility to a phone call, so I have decided to let him contact me via e-mail. Do not forget that he is a potential killer.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not ever read this or shoot me (with an e-mail).Note: Glenn Beck might or might not be as good of a shot as Dick Cheney, despite the unanswered rumors of him assassinating JFK.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not be Dick Cheney. Raving? White? Male? Connection?Note: Glenn Beck might or might not create ludicrous connections such as these on a regular basis.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not comprehend the word “regular.”Note: Glenn Beck might or might not be regular, even though his family has never been sick in their lives. There is no way of knowing without a response from Glenn Beck.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not be paying me to write this article as one of his regular publicity stunts.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have assassinated JFK as a publicity stunt.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not like the fact that he was not arrested after the assassination.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not like the fact that there are 18 letters in twice the value of his name.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not possess the ability to divide eighteen by three leaving six. If you repeat this three times, you find the mark of the beast. Coincidence?Note: Glenn Beck might or might not worship Satan and lobby for NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) – both of which are excellent pastimes for a killer.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not see these as real connections between him and the JFK assassination; however, this does seem to be the type of web he weaves in connecting the unconnectable. It is unbelievable what one can correlate through tears and drama – words that sound scary, all of which seem to relate, none of which really make sense together. Cock, aim, fire.Note: Glenn Beck might or might not have done any of the things listed or committed any of the crimes he is accused of online. I’m just saying.
(10/05/09 1:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The most magical night of the year is less than a month away. Which costume will you be wearing?The scantily-clad see-through superhero? The vixen pirate wench? The ravishing Red Riding Hood? Or perhaps the two-piece sexy Dorothy costume with optional matching panties?A night tramping around in heels with nine-tenths of your skin exposed in 45 degree weather is sure to be a fulfilling experience, no matter which of these or countless other racy costumes you might choose.Forget about the ridiculous notion that you can be anything you want on Halloween. Just be smokin’ hot and sexy.Forget about all your childhood years with fun costumes and bobbing for apples in your neighbor’s garage. “Trick-or-treat” has a new meaning, and your Halloween costume needs to expose that.A Google search of the words “sexy Halloween costumes” revealed nearly 18,000,000 results, compared to its counterpart “modest Halloween costumes” that came in with a measly 73,900.Sure the “sexy” results actually came from stores, while the “modest” ones seemed to come from someone’s basement via eBay, but this quest for the hottest costume for Halloween speaks to more than an individual’s search for a quality costume – it smacks our college creativity on the ass and tells us that, on the one night of the year when we pretend to be anything we can imagine, we pick the sexy version of these stock characters.We pick them because they make us feel powerful and dominating. People want to look at us, people are attracted to us, and heck, they just might get us laid. But I would argue that Halloween is about more than boozin’ and floozin.’ It’s about usin’ a little more creativity than goes into the average frat-party theme.We need to bring back the days when Halloween was about more than trying to increase your erotic capital; it was about getting more candy than your best friend. Halloween used to be outrageous and outlandish. It used to be off-the-wall and full of memories that we would want to remember. What happened to those days? And what happened to the ingenious costumes we used to come up with as we reveled in the unbelievable amount of candy we would bring home?As the cool October breezes begin blowing and pre-packaged stripper costumes start to line store shelves, try to find a costume that is perfect for you, not for the world gawking as you walk by.If your Halloween ensemble happens to be the black-suited spider girl sassy deluxe, more power to you. But if your Halloween costume happens to be something clever and original, something out of the box, and perhaps something that doesn’t expose most of the skin on your body to the cold October air, go you!There will be 364 more nights to wear the stretch gloss microfiber leggings with the teeny-weenie T-shirt. Try something else this Halloween.
(09/21/09 1:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“We came unarmed – this time,” multiple 9/12 protest signs threatened during a demonstration in D.C.Well, next time came. A man carrying a loaded gun in a thick swarm of people at a town hall meeting opened fire on his Congresswoman entering the building. He pleaded guilty, but he wanted the jury to understand that he was under overwhelming stress: He had just lost his job, had been consuming a great deal of junk food because he could not afford anything else, and he needed them to understand that he was just defending the people of this republic as well as their Constitution.“I too share your fear of crazy, lone nut-jobs,” Glenn Beck claimed on his Fox show last Friday.But the problem here reaches deeper than the solo-quack.It may only take one person to go off the deep end and harm the image of a movement, but isn’t society as a whole, or at least in part, responsible for the creation of circumstances and a mood that contributes to such an individual’s actions?Yes. Yes it is.Beyond society at large, individuals who reach out to these nuts by prying on their emotions with key words and red-white-and-blue arguments are to be faulted as well.When a source claiming credibility incites violence through racism, genuine suggestions and stupidity, the informed audience cannot help but qualm with the calm assurance such a “news source” offers through these suggestions.“I have concerns about some of the language that is being used,” said Nancy Pelosi, choked up regarding the violence in her weekly press conference last Thursday. She referenced a political situation similar to our current one that ultimately resulted in the murder of Harvey Milk in the 1970s. “This kind of rhetoric is just, is really frightening and it created a climate in which ... violence took place and ... I wish that we would all, again, curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements that are made,” she said.The encouragement of violence is not difficult to find. Noosed effigies of the president and government officials, hateful, disgusting and terrifying signs and loaded guns at town hall meetings – all of these actions speak louder than words. They speak a not-so-subtle truth about the individuals involved in them. However, they do more than speak. They scream.They scream for one idiot who goes too far. It’s only a matter of time in the current atmosphere of hate-speech, unacceptable intolerance and fact-twisting before a fringe element explodes – like a sole bottle rocket that flies into someone’s face.Just when we let our guard down, just when America begins to get used to the crack-crack-crackling fireworks of repulsive animosity, that is when one bursts in someone’s face.This may not be someone we know personally, but we should know them as a person; and for those of use who do, it will hurt. It will hurt because the pain of sympathy is an emotion greater and more meaningful than those feelings fear-mongered into us again and again, by those too “concerned” to take a moment for real concern.And to the one individual who is finally hurt, I can only hope that society can offer a warm embrace.And from the individuals asinine enough to continue setting off the fireworks, I can only hope that society as a whole will finally begin to turn their backs.From the posters of one who knew hatred in an extraordinary way, Harvey Milk: “Don’t let it happen here.”