Hectic Rhetoric
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(Source: newkidsonmycock11)
When I first started writing for music websites, one of them offered to let me work on their news section. This opportunity excited me – not only was I being offered an outlet for my own writing, I was also being given an opportunity to exercise my journalistic muscles. A few minutes later, however, links to two existing news stories that had recently been published on other sites landed in my inbox. ‘Just rewrite these for us and send them back when you can,’ said the email. ‘Why?’ I thought – ‘What is the point?’
Elsewhere, editors send press releases to writers asking, “Will you write this up?”, the subsequent rewrites are then picked up by other editors, writers rewrite the rewrites and so it goes on until, barely transformed and rarely investigated further, a single snappily written press release has become news, featured on the front page of every website whose readership might have a vague interest in its contents.
This is the sort of detrimental practice that people like Ben Goldacre and Simon Singh have rallied loudly against in science journalism. It might seem odd to bring up science reporting at this point – no doubt the efficacy (or otherwise) of certain cancer drugs is infinitely more crucial than whether or not Jai Paul’s debut album has leaked – but regardless of the subject matter, journalism without a basic and objective curiosity is not journalism at all. As mentioned earlier, there may be no major dishonesty being demonstrated by publications in the case in question – but neither is what they are doing any good.
- Paul Tucker, “‘A Thousand Braying Asses’: Kim Gordon & Churnalism’s Busy Sewer”, The Quietus (via andrewtsks)
Ursa Major ♀: If media covered America the way we cover foreign cultures
Yet another massacre has occurred in the historically war-torn region of the Southern United States – and so soon after the religious festival of Easter.
Brian McConkey, 27, a Christian fundamentalist militiaman living in the formerly occupied territory of Alabama, gunned down three men from an opposing tribe in the village square near Mobile, the capitol, over a discussion that may have involved the rituals of the local football cult. In this region full of heavily-armed local warlords and radical Christian clerics, gun violence is part of the life of many.
Many of the militiamen here are ethnic Scots-Irish tribesmen, a famously indomitable mountain people who have killed civilized men – and each other – for centuries. It appears that the wars that started on the fields of Bannockburn and Sterling have come to America.
As the sun sets over the former Confederate States of America, one wonders – can peace ever come to this land?
(Source: ericgarland.co)
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For the past decade, the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project has been providing practical and financial support for abortion services in Virginia and our surrounding communities. We have helped hundreds of people gain access to vital reproductive health care services. Through doing so, we have helped people change their lives.
Unfortunately, the legislative climate is becoming increasingly hostile towards health and reproductive rights. In 2013, we will undoubtedly see access to these health care services diminish even further, particularly for our low-income clients. Please consider starting the year with a donation to support abortion access for your fellow Virginia residents and community members.
At the end of 2012, Governor Bob McDonnell officially certified the Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers, or TRAP laws. This legislation categorizes any clinic that performs five or more abortions per month as a type of hospital as opposed to a doctor’s office. Although this legislation was deemed medically unnecessary by hundreds of Virginia doctors, all existing clinics will be held to the standards set forth in the regulations. This will result in the closure of many, if not most, of Virginia clinics. The toll that this will take on abortion access for people in our community is absolutely devastating.
First-trimester abortions account for the overwhelming majority of procedures performed in Virginia and are among the safest of all outpatient procedures. These abortion services rarely require hospitalization. These well-documented scientific facts clearly demonstrate that the new legislative measures are not intended as protection. They are instead a means of controlling access to direly needed reproductive health care – a means of controlling the bodies and lives of those who need abortion services.
When legislation is utilized as a way to decrease bodily autonomy, it is an act of dehumanization. It delegitimizes the experiences and the lives of every person affected. This is a violation of the human right to dignity. It is, without question, utterly inexcusable.
Located at the intersection of reproductive justice and economic justice, these regulations further decrease access to abortion services for low-income people. Such services are already severely curtailed by the denial of federal and state Medicaid coverage. Increased cost of transportation, childcare, and time away from jobs will make the procedure cost even more prohibitive.
Please donate in order to help meet the increased need for financial assistance. Any amount will help people access vitally important health care that they need.
In solidarity and great appreciation of your support!
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Animals Acting Human, 1923-1956
Ever since photography began, the genre of animals acting human as been a popular novelty. There is something about animals mimicking human behavior that is just too cute. Whether its “Carrots” the rabbit firing table tennis balls from a toy cannon, a lamb and a cat playing checkers or a cat hanging rats like laundry, its hard not to smile.
(Source: shit-thatblows)
(Source: pukebrainz)
David Foster Wallace on Ambition—an animated short by Blank on Blank.
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