What is "Newsworthy"?

If you have never heard of what happened in East Timor in 1975 (and years thereafter), especially if you lived through the 70s, then the media-public relationship on issues then is about the same is it is now in respect to "what is newsworthy".
"U.S. supported Indonesian rule in East Timor was marked by extreme violence and brutality. During the invasion and 27-year occupation, an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 people were killed in an initial population of about 600,000 at the time of the invasion." (Wikipedia baby!)

I'd like to now briefly compare that situation to the current situation concerning the genocide in Darfur and the amount of coverage it's receiving here in the Western World, specifically North America, by directing you to this Ablogistan post which quotes Nicholas Kristof as he points out that "Last month, CNN, Fox News, NBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS collectively ran 55 times as many stories about Michael Jackson as they ran about genocide in Darfur".

Big bad Noam [Chomsky] has made a strong case that media coverage of East Timor was played down because it did not suit the interests of U.S. elites and I could reiterate that the general public probably knows more about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt than Darfur, not necessarily for the same [political] reasons, but nonetheless; the point is that celebrities, runaway brides, or 10 people killed in the United States are the continuously "most important"... a sixth of the population of a country being slaughtered just doesn't cut it.

Anyways, read the Ablogistan post; it's an interesting read which not only puts blame on the government and media, but us the public as well. While you're reading it think about the fact that, I'm betting, you've never heard or were taught about East Timor.

Kept short and sweet(?) for summer reading.
Revolution this,
dazz.

Suggested somewhat related listening:
Rage Against the Machine - Vietnow (lyrics)

Does it mean you're in love when...

...your nightmares are comprised of the intense feelings and fallout of a messy breakup with your significant other?

revolution this,
dazzsmittenular williams.

Dates I'm Looking Forward To

Thursday, July.21/2005
Friday, July.29/2005
Friday, Aug.5/2005
Sunday, Aug.28/2005
Monday, Sept.12/2005
I can barely wait. Love can be greedy.

revolution this,
dazz.


Suggested Songs
dazz williams - Unwritten Song But Not Untold Feelings

Gravity Prone Toilet Seats

First off, I realized that I havn't posted any pictures on my blog since I got back from my trip out West (save one of my sister and I) and so I shall try to maintain a more visual aspect to this blog... starting now with a Canada-like picture I took in May.

I would now like to speak on gravity prone toilet seats. Many of us have encountered these in one of our endless and repeated trips to the bathroom throughout our lives. Girls may not know of the trials and tribulations of gravity prone toilet seats but guys do. GPTS's exist when the hinges of the toilet seat are too loose to stay up and when you lift the seat to go pee it slams back down on the toilet's rim (and thus why guys, being the ones that stand to pee more often, know of this better). The last gravity prone toilet seat I encountered was at my girlfriend's house, who at that point was a new friend that I'd met in math class. The bathroom with the GPTS was located right beside her kitchen; and I've never understood having a bathroom right beside the kitchen... who in the kitchen wants to hear another person's bathroom sounds while your preparing or eating food? Who wants to hear another person's bathroom sounds period? ("bathroom sounds" is a polite way of saying "ploops and plops" as well as "tinkles and flushes"). Anyways, at the time Lori was a cute girl from class and this was one of the first times I was at her house. Being a human I needed to use the facilities eventually and went to the GPTS rigged bathroom while she was in the kitchen. I'm trying to minimize my "bathroom sounds" since she's in the next room but before I can even proceed to produce any bathroom sounding sounds I lift up the seat, let go, and before I can react SLAM! it falls right back down onto the rim. Now I'm sure she's heard this and am a little embarassed at sounding like, after 2+ decades of living in North America, I still don't know how to use the commode. So I lift the seat again, slower this time. It falls as expected but I catch it. To make a short story that I've made long short again, I wound up leaning to the side and propping up the seat with my knee as I peed. Hooah! Man triumphs over machine again.

Gravity prone toilet seats was one of the things I previously mentioned would be coming up in a subsequent post. When I think of little ideas I jot them down; GPTS's was one of those, and another was "things spilling in bags". However, looking back upon my notes, I have no clue what kind of things spill in bags and thus cannot make any sort of informed post about things spilling in bags. Sorry.

Lastly, I'd like to plug my favourite "night" to attend. Wednesday nights at Call the Office in Londontown brings us FUNK NIGHT! Funk music all night long, a nicely mixed crowd, dancing, chillen, a patio, drinks of course if you want, and those crazy breakdancers are usually hanging around there too. Pictured to the left is one of those bboys doing a little toprock whilst sporting a shirt his gf bought him that reads "My New Fighting Technique Is Unstoppable". Helpful Hint: Things get going at funk night around 1130ish but if you come later than midnight you risk lineups.

Tis all. Find and listen to these songs:
Talib Kweli - Just to Get By
Lyn Collins - Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again
Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)

revolution this!
dazz.

[The difference between my parents and I: They say "It's already midnight" and I say "It's ONLY midnight"]