As Americans we do not like to talk about taboo topics such as gay marriage, abortion, terrorism et cetera. However a billboard that was placed in Soho last week is raising many eyebrows. The billboard depicts a beatiful girl and above her head a message reads "The Most Dangerous Place For An African American is in the Womb". This billboard was sponsored by the pro life group Life Always. Many leaders in New York have denounced this billboard as racist, sobering and anti feminist. The child depicted on the billboard is the daughter of Tricia Fraser. This picture was obtained sometime after a family photoshoot. The mother of the girl says she is educating her children that women have the right to choose and is demanding that her daughter's image to be taken down from the boards. Those on the otherside of the fence believe this is positive as it heightens awareness of the evils of abortion. Abortion was declared constitutional in the Supereme Court decision Roe V. Wade in 1973. A well known provider of early termination of pregnancies is Planned Parenthood. There are 250 people licensed to end abortions and statistics also indicate that forty one percent of pregnancies in New York City end in abortion. Sixty percent of those abortions were of African Americans. From generation to generation the concept of the beginning of life is always being debated while the definitive answer lies beneath our noses.
Once again, we are facing some billions of dollars New York City budget cut from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Although, I support him and in everything he does, I believe this budget cut will hurt a lot of New Yorkers. They say this budge cut is for a better future for those in New York. But, why are they thinking so far in the future and not in present times? If you keep cutting everything, nothing will be left. As things are getting bad in this state, everyone is moving to the other states that are affordable and I can't blame them either. Along with many other people, the rich people have it too good. The middle class pays the taxes, the upper class gloats, and the lower class just gets everything from the government which comes from our taxes. Tax the rich!! These officials who work hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, tax them too!! You live in NY, you should pay your fair share instead of complaining and hurting the people. The people gives you your paycheck at the end of the year, without us working and giving back to the economy, you wouldn't get a big fat amount like you do now. The proposed budget would lay off many more workers, cut education spending, cut medicare spending, and cut about $100 million dollars more from the MTA. So what does that mean really? That means, people will likely lose their homes, the $205 per credit will increase again, receiving health courage will be hard, and well what do you know, to take mass transit will also increase. Yes, now I understand why people move to Florida. I heard this cut will also cause Jamaica Hospital in Queens to close down. That's many more doctors, nurses, and other employees losing their jobs. So the question is Gov., would you rather lay off all these people and having to pay them unemployment every week? Or would you rather they have a job and continue to contribute by paying taxes and such? I didn't want to have to say this, but everything seems to be backwards. Those who apply for welfare and successfully receive it, are not doing nothing for themselves. If you are a young person, well below retirement age, you should be out there working or doing something. That's why New York has this big deficit because it funds people for all the wrong reasons. But, of course you can't cut everything and expect people to be able to work now can you? So it's like the government is really the ones putting themselves in this situation. But, like everything, nothing will get better before getting bad, but we are just getting hurt at every turn it seems. In the light of things, the people will speak out, and hopefully something more appropriate can be put together for NY!
So when I wrote this blog, I was very upset at the governor for creating this budget cut. But, last night I was watching the NY1 news and I heard that the budget cut is going to be passed without any hesitation. After understanding more about this, which I didn't as much when I wrote the blog, I knew why I was his supporter in the first place. I got to know that some $300 million was put into the system for the teachers to prevent lay offs, but Mayor Bloomberg commented and said something like that "fact" was never found or proven. Well how can it be found if all the money was spent on nonsense? I think Govt. Cuomo's budget will hurt the people, yes, but I see why he had to do the cut now. This is going to put more pressure on the authorities of New York such as the Mayor and all of his peoples, and hopefully we will be able to see some of the monies that they "claim" doesn't exist. We shall see what happens now.
I know whoever is reading this is wondering why follow the words “NBA Talk” with the Milwaukee Bucks. Especially when All Star Weekend just finished, and Carmelo Anthony is now officially a New York Knick. Anybody who is a true fan of a team knows that the second half of the NBA season is very important. The Bucks have been plagued by injuries all year. Everybody from their 7 foot center to their sophomore point guard has missed games this year because of injuries. The eighth seeded team in the Easter Conference last year is currently 21-34, which is good for tenth place in their conference. Today they begin the second half of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Bucks need to score more points per game because right now they are the lowest scoring team in the NBA. The key to scoring more points is getting more offensive production from Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. If they can do that and continue playing good defense, and get healthy there’s no doubt in my mind they can make the playoffs just like they did last year.
The predeccor of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II will be declared "Blessed" on May 1. The deceased Polish Pontiff was very popular among Catholics and around the world. To date he has travelled the most places around the globe during his 26 year reign over the Roman Catholic Church. He was known for his charisma, charity, faith and defense of life. He passed away in 2005 and at his funeral thousands in Saint Peter's square chanted "Santo Subito!" meaning Sainthood Now! Millions are expected to flood Vatican City around that weekend in the hopes of attending this historic ceremony. The Beatification of Pope John Paul II makes him one step closer to being canonized. The path to canonization in the Catholic Church commences when the cause of a pious deceased person is opened and sponsored by a diocese. The Next step is to recieve approval from Rome by the Pope and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Testimonies and records are gathered and are analyzed by the Congregation to determine the person's eligbility for Canonization. At this point the prospective Saint is entitled "Venerable" and "Servant of God". One miracle attributed to the person is required for them to be Beatified. Once a person is Beatified they are entitled "Blessed". Another miracle is required before the person is Canonized and attains the honors of the altar. The miracle that led to the future beatification of Pope John Paul II was a nun miraculously cured from Parkinson's disease. May this secular and religious saint inspire the world to work for a better humanity.
A tragic natural disaster has struck the small nation of New Zealand in the afternoon of their time zone. The magnitude was 6.3 on the Ritcher scale and the death toll stands at 65 while many are injured. al ChristChurch Cathedral's spire was destroyed along with damage to other buildings and units in the ChristChurch area. A couple of nations including the US are pledging assistance in this time of crisis and trauma. Efforts are underway to rescue victims trapped underneath rubble and debris. Earthquakes regularly occur here due to the fact that the couintry is located within the Pacific Ring of Rire. At least thirty major and minor earthquakes have been recorded since 1843.
In our current society political Unrest is an important issue. There have been a few cases of it in the past couple of years, all over the globe. There are many things that contribute to political Unrest, and even though this might sound odd technology is one of those things. The social networks like Twitter and Facebook, which can be accessed through the Internet, can make a huge contribution to political issues.
The social networking websites I mentioned allow everyone from reporters to common citizens to post real time updates on their site. Let’s say a groundbreaking event just happened we could learn about it through these websites, as it is happening, and that is all thanks to technology. The information put up on these websites can be what makes people decide how they feel on a certain issue like political Unrest. These websites have formed a new and faster form of journalism.
The article “Twitter blocked in Egypt after political unrest” by John Ribeiro talks about how Twitter was blocked in the country of Egypt because of a protest against its government. It also talks about how important Twitter is. It also states, the Egyptian protestors are using Facebook to communicate with each other and the world. The Egyptian government blocked one social networking website and the Egyptian people just turned to another website of the same sort to continue their effort on the Internet. In the article there is a quote from Twitter that states, "We believe that the open exchange of information and views benefits societies and helps governments better connect with their people". I agree with this statement. This is just another form of Journalism, and it does benefit societies to be able to get up to date information on what is currently going on in their country or around the world.
Another article titled ‘‘Social networking’ technology and political unrest” talks about the advantages and disadvantages of technology like text messaging and social networks. It explains how Twitter and Facebook messages can be easily tracked compared to text messages. There’s a statement in the article that says, “the importance of SNT is not in organizing protestors (it may, or may not) but in ensuring that the world knows in grim detail what is going on.” SNT is the network simulator designed from the outset for maximum speed and scalability, with real-time simulation as an achievable goal. I agree with the statement from the article because the SNT is a technology made to give real time updates. That is what lets us know exactly what is going on when it happens on websites like Twitter and Facebook.
After reading these articles I think both authors agree with the fact that technology is contributing to political Unrest. In both articles the authors expressed how technology and social networking websites affect political issues. Journalism is taking a step into the future because of technology.
The Soho based streetwear brand Supreme is ready to excite their fans with another well made Spring collection. With no surprise Supreme will be dropping a full array of clothing. Including t-shirts, jackets, hats, sweaters, and even back packs. Supreme also enjoys throwing in a few accessories with each season, and this year it is no different. Whether it comes to clothing or a water gun Supreme does not disappoint. The outerwear included in this Spring collection has something for everyone. You can be looking for anything from leather to an old school Champion jacket and Supreme will fulfill your needs. The rest of the collection is filled with logo inspired graphics. All in all the collection is great, and it will be in stores just in time for the nice weather. Here are a few of my favorite items.
Approximately two decades ago and to some extent today the drug cartel was in full force. Whether it was cocaine or marijuana you had all if not most of the narcotics at your disposal in New York City. Business transactions concerning these products were met with high risk with the chance of getting caught by the authorities and/or being murdered by gangsters. The dealing of drugs has rended families and friends apart while leaving communities to pick up the pieces following the chaos. One such movie that captures the spirit of the drug cartel is "Holy Rollers".
This independent film was released January 5, 2010 and was directed by Kevin Asch who won the Breakthrough Director Award at the 2010 Gotham Awards, This film was nominated for an award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The movie is set in Brooklyn, New York and the year is 1998. Sam Gold is a young adult living with his Orthodox Jewish Hasidic Family. He is studying to become a rabbi and is awaiting marriage. A neighbor friend of his introduces him to the drug industry in which Sam is recruited to transport ecstasy pills from Amsterdam to New York embedded in his luggage. He makes a lot of money and becomes a willing asset to his friend. Due to true rumors regarding Sam's travels the family disowns him leacing him at the superficial mercy of fast money and so called friends.
I liked the movie for it's message, content and sentiment. It shows that happiness lies within the family instead of money and lewd proclivities. Another film similar to this is "Maria full of Grace" which was made and released seven years ago and also takes place in New York City. Let us always examine reality and follow the ways of morality and ethics.
"You cannot hold my C.R.E.AM" (in reference to Wu-Tangs C.R.E.A.M, which stands for Cash Rules Everything Around Me). The unique, yet very ear catchy lyrics from New Jersey based banded B.Funk. Compared to the old school ROOTS band, B.Funk is a cross genre band (play different genres of music) made up of eight members, two vocalist, and five musicians ( drums, bongos, bass, and 2 guitars.) With shows all over New Jersey, lower manhattan and the brooklyn bar-lounge scene, they have attracted fans because of their abstract sound. They play a mixture of jazz, hip hop, dub step and trance music. I recently went to see then at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was surprised by the diversity in the crowd. Many different faces seem to enjoy the madness on stage. They have great stage presence, and improvised allot with the crowd and the band. They each had solos and walked off stage, leaving the saxophone for last which spit a wonderful symphony for about a minute. Their recently released album Koufy Rock which has 10 tracks shows the different realms the band enters. This is their first album as a unified band considering that they have left and adopted new members through the years. Last November 11th they opened for legendary Rap/HipHop group EMPD and Slick Rick. Slowly on their come up, B.Funk continues to amaze fans with their funky tones and witty lyrics.
I think that by now Christina Aguilera has been lambasted enough for her gaffe at this past Sunday's Super Bowl, so I'm not going to partake in that myself. Even though I did have a field day after it went down. In case you haven't seen the video that caused Egypt to not be on the trending topics feed on Twitter for the first time in weeks, here you are: http://tiny.cc/yyzww
Now, I don't care that she messed up the lyrics. Why? Because we are human and as humans we make mistakes. I mess up lyrics and so do you. The only difference is that our mistakes aren't as public. Hey, at least she made it to the end of the song? I would have probably sworn a couple of times before crying and running off of the field with my arms flailing if it were me. *Kanye Shrug*
So, I heard that the MTA wants to build a high-speed train system since we faced so many problems during the snow storm. With all the fare hikes and complains about how the city is in so much debt, they want to make something new that would cost about another $100 million dollars. I get so frustrated with the MTA because they want to cut bus and train lines, but make us pay more. Seriously? As stated in the yahoo news, "Because the MTA has already taken unprecedented measures to reduce costs, finding an additional $100 million in 2011 will be very painful," the nation's largest mass transit agency said in a written statement. "As we continue cost-cutting, further reductions become harder and harder to achieve." What I want to know is where has the costs been reduced, because it sure isnt in this city. Everything just keeps getting higher and higher, and the people who suffer are the tax payers. There are trains that just sucks, I mean really sucks like the A train. They seem to be upgrading the trains, but the A train has remained its same old self for years since the newer trains have been introduced. That train has to do two routes, yet they cannot make it better. Come on MTA, before you talk about a high-speed train system, talk about how you will ACTUALLY REDUCE OUR FARE rather than increase it every year and build new things, start from what you already have. I notice some changes in terms of those planner guides posted on the boards, but we need to get where we are going in a timely manner and for that, the trains itself needs improvement.
In a world where evil and corruption permeate our lives many solutions to these problems are proposed. In the realm of film a movie called "The Rite" has been released directed by Mikael Håfström starring Anthony Hopkins et al. The movie follows a mortician who enters seminary. Once he is ordained to the transitional diaconate he decides to resign to the dismay of the superior. The superior counteracts his proposal and sends him to Rome to take a course on Church exorcism. The sequence of events that follow have a profound effect on the viewer and is left to interpretation. I liked the movie because of the positive light it has shed on the Roman Catholic Church. This movie is based on the book "The Rite: The Making od a Modern Exorcist" by journalist Matt Baglio. I am currently reading the book and am far more content with the book than the film. The protagonist in the book is an experienced priest whereas in the film it is a confused seminarian. The book goes into more detail about exorcism and in my opinion has more substance. I recommend the book and film to priests, seminarians, Catholics and those interested on the Catholic view of exorcism.
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Chipotle is a fast food resturant that sells burritos. I love them. Everytime I walk into a chipotle resturant one thing catches my attention that would be the selected employees. They all seem to be of one race. So today I went to sign on my yahoo account and I came across a story that read "U.S. fast food caught in immigration crosshairs." There has been a federal investigation forcing many Chipotle resturants to lay off more than half of their staff. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110207/us_nm/us_usa_immigration_fastfood
