Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
ACORN
I was just watching the video of ACORN employees helping a supposed pimp and his hooker and how easily fraudulent it might be.
Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOL9Jh61S8&feature=related
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgqORp48uik&feature=related
Only once does someone on-screen - an ACORN employee - mention any kind of sex work: "Don't call yourself a prostitute." All of the talk involving sex workers comes from the pimp, whom you never actually see. Basically you can take this video and replace his dialogue to make it sound as it probably was: the film-makers posing as a stripper and friend. They also get advice on an unlikely situation of their being in a house that's taking in 13 children from El Salvador, and some of the advice raises questions, but still might actually all be legal. The final segment has them discussing avoiding what sounds like a previous pimp, but instead was probably them giving advice on avoiding a menacing ex-boyfriend, etc. Of course the video's editing is very choppy.
The idea of ACORN employees calmly giving advice to a pimp and hooker importing 13 children from El Salvador to serve in a prostitution ring seems a bit ridiculous. The idea of Republicans wanting to destroy ACORN by whatever creative means necessary seems... well, it's not just likely, it's true. ACORN registers scads of people to vote in urban areas. If all they did was their other activities - finding poor people affordable housing, education, understanding government services and accessing existing government assistance, they wouldn't be such a threat. But registering poor people to vote is what has always required they be crushed.
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACORN#2009:_Undercover_videos_controversy
A spokesman accused O'Keefe of dubbing the audio on the videos.[60] Tresa Kaelke, one of the ACORN organizers interviewed, states she believed the actors were joking and made a variety of absurd or joking statements to them;[61][62] another interviewed employee, Juan Carlos Vera, contacted a police officer after the incident.[63] ACORN fired the Baltimore employees, but also called the first video "false", "defamatory", and stated that undercover teams had failed in similar attempts elsewhere.[64][65] On September 16, 2009, ACORN suspended advising new clients and began an internal review process, headed by Scott Harshbarger, due to "the indefensible action of a handful of [ACORN] employees".
The whole issue is being investigated by the Brooklyn DA (ACORN is based in NYC) and ACORN is suing the filmmakers, but meanwhile they're getting funding cut left and right, and their name is now used just as easily as "socialism" and "Obamacare" and "Michael Moore" to incite fear and loathing. I'm always in love with Rachel Maddow for her ongoing coverage of all of this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/
Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOL9Jh61S8&feature=related
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgqORp48uik&feature=related
Only once does someone on-screen - an ACORN employee - mention any kind of sex work: "Don't call yourself a prostitute." All of the talk involving sex workers comes from the pimp, whom you never actually see. Basically you can take this video and replace his dialogue to make it sound as it probably was: the film-makers posing as a stripper and friend. They also get advice on an unlikely situation of their being in a house that's taking in 13 children from El Salvador, and some of the advice raises questions, but still might actually all be legal. The final segment has them discussing avoiding what sounds like a previous pimp, but instead was probably them giving advice on avoiding a menacing ex-boyfriend, etc. Of course the video's editing is very choppy.
The idea of ACORN employees calmly giving advice to a pimp and hooker importing 13 children from El Salvador to serve in a prostitution ring seems a bit ridiculous. The idea of Republicans wanting to destroy ACORN by whatever creative means necessary seems... well, it's not just likely, it's true. ACORN registers scads of people to vote in urban areas. If all they did was their other activities - finding poor people affordable housing, education, understanding government services and accessing existing government assistance, they wouldn't be such a threat. But registering poor people to vote is what has always required they be crushed.
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACORN#2009:_Undercover_videos_controversy
A spokesman accused O'Keefe of dubbing the audio on the videos.[60] Tresa Kaelke, one of the ACORN organizers interviewed, states she believed the actors were joking and made a variety of absurd or joking statements to them;[61][62] another interviewed employee, Juan Carlos Vera, contacted a police officer after the incident.[63] ACORN fired the Baltimore employees, but also called the first video "false", "defamatory", and stated that undercover teams had failed in similar attempts elsewhere.[64][65] On September 16, 2009, ACORN suspended advising new clients and began an internal review process, headed by Scott Harshbarger, due to "the indefensible action of a handful of [ACORN] employees".
The whole issue is being investigated by the Brooklyn DA (ACORN is based in NYC) and ACORN is suing the filmmakers, but meanwhile they're getting funding cut left and right, and their name is now used just as easily as "socialism" and "Obamacare" and "Michael Moore" to incite fear and loathing. I'm always in love with Rachel Maddow for her ongoing coverage of all of this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Crasher Squirrel
Ok, I'm so easily amused that I just spent a few minutes using the Squirrelizer (http://www.lutralutra.co.uk/squirrelizer), and here's the results:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sanford
South Carolina Gov. Sanford just got back from his curious vacation, to reveal he's been having an affair. Why is a Republican being involved in an extramarital affair still worthy of a press conference? Anyway, he has one here:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2009/06/24/sot.sc.sanford.affair.scetv
and you should watch it. Not because of what he says - he gives the usual plea for forgiveness, etc. - but because of the women behind him during his speech, who are constantly trying to stop themselves from laughing. So watch the two women on the left, but be sure to watch the woman on the right at about 45 seconds into the video.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2009/06/24/sot.sc.sanford.affair.scetv
and you should watch it. Not because of what he says - he gives the usual plea for forgiveness, etc. - but because of the women behind him during his speech, who are constantly trying to stop themselves from laughing. So watch the two women on the left, but be sure to watch the woman on the right at about 45 seconds into the video.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Philately Geek
I love and hate being on this stamp store's mailing list. They're running a sale on this series of "overrun nations" from WW2 that came out in 1944. It was the first time the USPS used more than two colors in printing stamps.What... you aren't excited about this? What the hell's wrong with you?!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Vids
Hey, first post in ages. Been feeling absolutely shit for the last four months... now am on new drug (Nardil) and am notably better. Let's see if it lasts.
Meanwhile, here's some entertainment. This chickiebabe Nataly Dawn is all over YouTube, by herself and as half of her duo Pomplamoose. Pretty damn addictive and worthy of sharing:
And in case you missed it, the phenomenal remixes of Christian Bale's awesomely awesome fuckfest:
Meanwhile, here's some entertainment. This chickiebabe Nataly Dawn is all over YouTube, by herself and as half of her duo Pomplamoose. Pretty damn addictive and worthy of sharing:
And in case you missed it, the phenomenal remixes of Christian Bale's awesomely awesome fuckfest:
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